Shiver
by Loopstagirl
Summary: When one of the Thunderbirds is infecting with something deadly, will the rest of the Tracys be able to save one of their own? Or are they about to be torn apart by grief again?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Shiver**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Thunderbirds or any of the characters mentioned, Gerry Anderson does! **

**Summary: When one of the Thunderbirds is infecting with something deadly, will the rest of the Tracys be able to save one of their own? Or are they about to be torn apart by grief again?**

**Huge thank you to Piratemoose for beta-ing this for me and being generally amazing! Thank you *hug***

_Hey can you hear my body falling on the floor  
Hey can you see it's not what I was looking for  
Oh brother I'm wearing way too thin, what's this box I'm living in?  
My body is broken_

Oh what do we do now?  
Do we wait and sweat it out?  
Do we focus on the shiver?

_Elliot Minor – Shiver  
_

***

"Alright, Mobile Control, we're coming back out again. Looks like everyone is clear."

Flicking a quick switch on the vast panel of the machinery in front of him, Scott sat back with a sigh of relief. He hated earthquakes. Hated them with a passion. Everything was so unpredictable when the ground let lose its full fury and caused the Tracy family major chaos. They had been out here for at least 36 hours, taking it in turns to man mobile control so that there was always a fresh set of eyes scanning the area for life, and following the flashing signals from their equipment in the hope that they would be able to save one more person. But for now, it was over, another job complete, although it had been far from easy.

"How's the leg, Gords?" Sending the transmission through the life saving watches, Scott couldn't stop a tired grin spreading over his ash covered face as he heard Gordon grumble back at him. A tinny laugh echoing in the background was a clear indication that the aquanaut was having to receive the aid of his little brother to clear the zone and was not happy about it.

"I've learnt one thing, Scott. Never try and use a three storey building as a diving board and expect to walk away from it." The humour was present as always in Gordon's voice, but it wasn't enough to fool the oldest mother hen. The red-head's voice was lined with pain and fatigue, the only good thing being that he seemed to have escaped from shock. The same couldn't necessarily be said for the older brother. Hearing Gordon's cry of alarm as the building that he was searching crumbled under his feet with an unexpected aftershock echoed through Scott's mind, along with the agonising scream as the impact caused his leg to break. Luckily, Virgil had been near by and the team medic had been by his brother's side before Scott could as much as blink. A shot of pain killers and a splint later and Gordon could barely feel a thing, only needing Alan's support to navigate the unstable terrain.

Letting his mind drift over the rescue, Scott couldn't stop the normal chills from shooting down his spine as he recalled how many close calls the brothers had had with this rescue alone. It wasn't just Gordon; another building had almost collapsed on Alan, Scott himself had been forced to tunnel through a huge amount of rubble to pull Virgil free and all the while John was nearly having a break down out in Thunderbird 5 because he was unable to help his brothers. International Rescue certainly knew how to age a guy. Thinking about John, Scott hit another button on his watch and sent the transmission beaming up into space, connecting him with the brother closest in age, but furthest away in distance.

"Please tell me that that is it, Johnny. No more aftershocks, no more rescues, just a nice hot shower and Ohana's muffins."

"Think you're in luck, Scott. Readings appear to be clear, the ground has stabilised as the plates shifted back to their original positions. That shower is waiting for you, dude."

This time, the sigh of relief was more like an explosion in itself as the welcoming news washed over the tired pilot; his brothers walking, or in Gordon's case, limping, back into his eye sight at the same time. Virgil may be the medic, but Scott was the one who was anxiously running his eyes over the dishevelled boys, making sure that there were no injuries that he didn't already know about. Gordon half heartedly raised his hand in a mock salute, the movement made clumsy by his weariness, causing another small smile to line Scott's face. Trust Gordon to make him smile in a situation like this.

The remaining Tracy's had almost reached mobile control when Scott felt a series of vibrations shoot through his arm as John frantically tried to contact him. Frowning slightly, Scott lifted his eyes to see Virgil, Gordon and Alan all look towards their watches at the same time.

"Go ahead, John," Scott ordered anxiously, immediately back on full alert, scanning the area for anything that might provide a danger in the event of further aftershocks.

"Scott, I'm not sure…what the hell..?"

"John?"

"…"

"John, talk to me buddy, what is going on?"

"Get out of there now! I've got recordings of some shock waves coming through from the mountain. They're not aftershocks, they seem to be some electro-pulse thing, but they are heading directly your way. All of you move, NOW!"

With a frantic glance towards his brothers, Scott realised at the same time as Virgil that there was no way that Alan would be able to clear Gordon of the area that John had indicated. Slamming his fist onto a button, Scott raced towards his brothers as Mobile Control shut itself down, Virgil sprinting the same direction. The elder Tracys reached their brothers at the same time, Alan desperately trying to help Gordon along. The shocks that John had promised were heading their way fast, the ground was already beginning to tremble, causing the already unstable Gordon to wobble even more. Catching Gordon as he fell, Scott yelled at Virgil and Alan to run. Adrenaline taking over at the prospect of his brothers' lives being in danger, Scott did the only thing that he could think of. Grabbing Gordon's arm with one hand and his good leg with the other, Scott slung his younger brother over his back and sprinted full speed towards the disappearing backs of the other two. Whether or not Gordon was simply too stunned to say anything, Scott wasn't sure, but the younger man kept perfectly still as Scott urged his legs to move faster and faster. The ground was shaking harder now, making it hard for the pilot to keep moving, but still Scott pushed on. Virgil and Alan had just cleared the area when the full impact of the shocks screamed through the ground, sending the remaining brothers flying as it gave way beneath Scott's feet.

Vaguely aware of Virgil yelling something, Scott felt like he was hearing his brother through water as he switched into automatic. Flinging himself over Gordon's worryingly still form, Scott used his body as a shield for the younger man, wincing as pieces of rock were torn from the ground and jabbed him in the arms and the back. How long he lay in that position, his only thought to protect Gordon, Scott could not have said. It felt like a lifetime, and yet at the same time, it was as if it had all taken place in a matter of seconds until he felt Virgil carefully manoeuvring him away from Gordon, Alan crouched nearby, concern and worry radiating out of both of them.

Lying on the ground gazing up at the amazingly blue sky, Scott felt as if he was in a dream. He could dimly hear voices shouting around him, perhaps calling his name, although he could not be certain. Soft hands were deftly cleaning the cuts from where the rocks had hit him, their voice low and soft. But Scott couldn't place it; it was as if he was listening from far away.

Suddenly, he felt himself being dragged back to consciousness, only to find himself looking up at his youngest brother, who grinned back, the empty water bag still in his outstretched hand.

"Told you that would work."

"You've been around Gordon too much, Al. That may work in the mornings, but I wouldn't recommend it as a regular treatment to stop someone going into shock."

"Gordon?" Scott croaked as his brain kicked fully back into gear. Gordon, hurt, not moving. Sitting bolt upright, the eldest Tracy paused for a moment as the world spun sickeningly around him before going to stand up, only to be stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Don't you dare, Scott. Gordon's fine, he had a little bump on the head, but is already being as annoying as ever. And unfortunately for you, mate, you're the one who now gets the pleasure of riding home with him. There is no way that you are flying in the state that you're in."

Groaning, Scott realised the full implications of what Virgil was saying. There is only one place that the medic would put a sick brother, and from what he seemed to be implying, two sick brothers. It was a place that Scott did not like in the slightest.

"I'm fine, Virg," Putting on fake smile, Scott climbed to his feet, trying to look like he was focused and ready to go, despite the fact that the world had once again rotated faster than normal. Trying desperately to walk in a straight line, Scott headed back the way that he believed Thunderbird One to be waiting for him, only to frown in confusion when it wasn't there. Believing that someone must have moved it, Scott turned back to his brothers to find them wearing identical expressions. Small smiles of amusement flickered across their mouths as the eyebrows identically disappeared into the hairline. They were not buying his act for a moment.

"Alan is flying home, Scott, end of story. You are going to co-operate and ride home in the sick bay with Gordon; I want to keep an eye on you. And don't pull that face either, you know the rules. Hell, you're the first to remind us of the rules when something like this happens to one of us."

"Honest, Virg, I'm fine. What if I promise to let Alan do most of the flying and I'll just be there to make sure that he doesn't hurt my baby?" Scott's eyes were big and pleading as he sent his brother the most pathetic look he could manage. Yeah, he hurt and was stiff, but he was normally like that after a rescue, no matter what. And besides, he _really _hated the sick bay.

"Ok, Scott, you can fly home. Now, remind me again, where exactly is Thunderbird One?" Scott frowned at Virgil's mocking tone and the amused smile on Alan's face. He would show them! Spinning back to face the way in which he thought to find his 'bird, Scott spun a little too quickly and the whole world faded quite suddenly to black. Lurching alarmingly, Scott was vaguely aware of a hand steadying his elbow, keeping him upright as his surroundings once more shifted back into view.

"Don't make this hard on yourself, dude. I'll use force if I have too, now come on, just get into Thunderbird two. Alan is perfectly capable of flying One home without scratching her paintwork. And if he does, well then, you can have the honour of thinking up something to get him back with. No pressure, Sprout."

Adding the last bit on the end to a suddenly worried looking Alan, Virgil carefully steered his older brother towards his own baby, ignoring the feeble protests that came too. Out of all of them, Scott was the most difficult patient Virgil had ever had the misfortune to treat, his over protectiveness of his brothers making him a real pain in the ass. Alan stood for a moment watching them walk away, concern flitting onto his face now that he no longer had a brother watching him. It was so unlike Scott to be hurt, it was unnerving for the youngest to see his childhood hero acting so weak. Shaking his head sadly, Alan turned back to Thunderbird One, heading in the same direction Scott had almost been taking, only slightly over to the left.

Scott must have been bad if he had managed to miss the gleaming paintwork of his most prized possession sitting just out of his eye line.

Manoeuvring Scott onto a bed, Virgil glared down at his older brother, annoyed at how stubborn he was being. He thought Alan was bad at listening to the medic's advice when it came to being ill or injured, but he was nothing compared to Scott. The man hadn't stopped complaining the whole way over, adamant that he was fine and that Virgil was overreacting. How he thought that Virgil was going to listen when he had stumbled at least five times and almost blacked out again, the artist had no idea, but he was beginning to get really ticked off. It was only a blessing Gordon had fallen asleep, pain and exhaustion overcoming his normal never-ending energy supply. Virgil had no idea how he would have dealt with them both if he was awake.

"Stay there, Scott. I mean it, stay put. You're hurt and certainly in no state to be walking around, let alone flying. Please, I'm begging you, stay put."

Scott simply rolled his eyes at his brother, but obliged and lay obediently back. Inside, however, the pilot was fuming; Virgil was treating him as if he was Alan! Watching the retreating back, Scott turned his glare onto the ceiling, before a low moan made him shift it to another younger brother. Gordon was definitely asleep, there could be no uncertainty about it, but the younger man was clearly suffering. Watching his brother sleep, Scott frowned as he let out another low moan, tension flickering across his sleeping face, causing him to turn from Scott restlessly. With a quick glance towards the doorway to make sure that Virgil was not going to mysteriously reappear in the annoying way that he possessed, Scott silently swung his legs out of the bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, thank you so much for all of those of you who reviewed, that made me very happy girl seeing all those messages waiting for me in my inbox! Here comes the next chapter...**

"Thunderbird Two, this is Thunderbird One. What's taking so long, Virg? Troublesome patients?"

Lifting his head from his hands, Virgil glanced up at the numerous screens surrounding the cockpit to see Alan smirking down at him from one. The younger man's eyes were giving away how he was truly feeling though, for they were strained with the worry and stress of everything that had happened.

"Something like that. Hey, I thought _you_ were bad, Sprout. Scott? He's in a whole league of his own when it comes to being injured! Everything seems to turn into a battle with him."

"He takes after Dad, you know that. Come on, I want to get home. I've already told Base that we are on the way. You ready?"

"Yeah, I guess. Alright, bro, lets get this show on the road, I want the other two properly checked out when we get home. Gordon should be fine once his leg has been set properly, but Scott?" He shook his head.

Flicking a switch, Virgil disconnected himself from Alan and began to run through the pre-flight checks. The Sprout was right; it was time to go home. Within a matter of moments, the giant machine was roaring to life, the immense power that it held trembling with anticipation as he deftly lifted it into the air, glad to be leaving this scene of devastation. It had been a tough rescue, regardless of the injuries that had been sustained. One thing the artist had in common with his biggest brother was a hatred for earthquakes and the complete and utter chaos that was caused.

A shrill beeping noise resonated throughout the cockpit as Virgil steered his 'bird over the rocky terrain with an ease that only came with practice. Casually flicking a switch, a screen smoothly morphed into John's concerned face.

"Hey," the blond stated softly, looking almost as bad as Alan. Watching Virgil carefully, John sighed to himself. The fact that both Alan and Virgil were flying alone and the medic was looking so worn could only mean one thing. Gordon was no longer the only one in need of attention.

"They didn't clear it?" he continued, still not able to shake the feeling that had emerged with the discovery of the strange shocks. He may be in control of the most sophisticated piece of technology the planet had ever seen, yet for all the diagnostics he had run, the astronaut was still unable to explain what on earth had taken place. There was only one thing he was certain of, and that was the biggest worry of them all. The shocks were not natural, someone had caused them deliberately. But was it just a coincidence that they affected the very area where the Thunderbirds were?

"Not quite. I think both are going to be fine. Gords is out of it at the moment, but he only bumped his head lightly. No signs of concussion as of yet, but I'll keep a close eye on him. Think it was more the shock of everything to do with the shocks and his leg sent him spiralling over the edge. We all seem to forget that he and Alan are little more than kids really."

"And Scott?" John prompted when Virgil fell silently. For the first time since the rescue had begun, John was glad that he was thousands of miles above the earth. He didn't envy the earthbound Tracy's in the slightest if they had to deal with Scott as a patient, his reputation was somewhat legendary.

"Being a pain in the arse, as normal. He's sustained some cuts from where the rocks hit him, some of which look quite nasty. He also nearly went into shock at the site, meaning that there was no way I was going to let him fly home. But somehow, our dearly beloved big brother didn't like hearing that."

"I'll talk to him now," John promised, already flicking switches that would send him through to Scott's watch. The pilot was no doubt sulking, another habit he seemed to have picked up from their father when he didn't get his own way. Sometimes, the responsible team leader who had helped raise his four younger brothers could be such a toddler. Situated beyond even Scott's annoyance, John's calm demeanour was nearly always effective in calming any of them down. It was the least that he could do.

Virgil sighed softly as the blond turned away from the screen. Although he was glad that John had kept him involved in the conversation he was about to have with Scott, the exhausted man was not so sure that he wanted to hear what was being said. All Virgil could admit to wanting at this moment in time was a nice shower and then to fall into bed and sleep for about a week. Zoning out slightly, Virgil didn't notice John begin to tense up, nor the fact that the conversation was very one sided. Absent mindedly flicking switches on the control panel that would keep the giant of a machine steady, Virgil scrubbed his hand wearily over his face, determined to keep himself focused. It was occasions like this that was the very reason that Jeff had decided that there needed to be co-pilots, someone to keep the boys focused after such an exhausting rescue. Having two of the four earthbound boys out of action threw that idea out of the window.

"Virg, I think we have a problem!" John's sharp tones made Virgil jerk back into reality. Staring at the image of his brother, the medic's heart sank when he saw the expression on his face. The tension that had been present earlier had returned, coupled with an added dose of concern. Something was wrong, Virgil just knew.

"Scott?" He asked quietly, his heart filling with dread. He should have realised that it was too quiet in the sick bay. Scott always tries something, especially if he knew that Virgil was flying alone. His stubbornness normally would mean that he would be out here, arguing with his brother to let him help. Virgil should have known. Scott never does what he is told if he can help it, Jeff was the only one that had the power over the eldest brother. At John's nod, the artist cursed dramatically and quickly switched his 'bird onto automatic. He knew the terrain well enough in this area to know that there wouldn't be any problems with letting Thunderbird Two fly herself for a little bit.

Scrambling out of his seat, Virgil set off at a jog towards the medical bay, flicking a button on his watch so that he could keep John in the loop. He knew without having to ask that the blond would already be informing both Alan and Base that something was wrong, saving Virgil precious time. Slamming his palm on the button that allowed the doors to swish silently open, Virgil sped into the sick bay and skidded to a stop, his heart plummeting.

Scott had definitely not done as he was told and stayed in bed. Spread between Gordon's and his own bed, the pilot had collapsed half way across to his brother's bed. His eyes shut and his breathing far too shallow for Virgil's liking, Scott lay not moving, his watch still beeping from where John had tried to contact him. Heaving his brother's still form over onto his back, Virgil frantically checked his pulse and breathing. The heartbeat beneath his hand was racing, the skin feeling unusually warm. Staring at his brother in confusion, Virgil frowned. He knew that Scott had received some cuts from the shocks and had been pretty worked up about the whole thing, but nothing should have given this reaction. The uncertainty was worse than knowing, for the medic had no idea what he was supposed to do.

"Virgil, report. What is going on?" Jeff's voice cut through the air like a knife, the worry evident even through the small speakers on the watches.

"I…I don't know, Dad. Scott's burning up; it's as if he has a fever. But nothing happened at the rescue that accounts for this. I don't know what to do!"

"Hang on, son. I'm putting Brains on; he should be able to help."

The small pause seemed to stretch on for a lifetime as Virgil waited for the genius to help him. He had never felt this helpless before, he always had an idea of what to do to help one of them if something happened. But nothing like this _had_ ever happened before; it didn't seem to make any sense. Scott's irregular breathing echoed throughout the sick bay, rivalled only by Gordon's uneasiness. With a quick glance at Scott, Virgil stood up again and crouched by Gordon's bed. Something was haunting the red head; his restlessness made it all too apparent. Thinking quickly, Virgil reached into a locker above the bed and pulled out something that he seemed to be always threatening his brothers with. Holding Gordon's unresponsive arm tightly with one hand, Virgil quickly plunged the needle into his arm. Letting out a small cry, Gordon stirred again, before the sedation took hold and he slowly exhaled, sinking into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again, thank you so much to those of you who haved reviewed, it really means so much to me! :)**

"Vir…Vir…Virgil, are you t...t...there?" Brains' stuttering voice had never sounded so welcoming than it did at that moment in time.

"Go ahead, Brains," Virgil told him, once more crouching by Scott. Resting his hand on his brother's brow, Virgil was alarmed to feel how warm the skin was. Whatever this was, it was quick.

"From w…w...what your d…d…father has told me, it s….s…s…seems to be an infection of s…s…kinds. Get some fluids into him and then just g…get back here as q…q…s…s…fast as possible. Nothing can be done without knowing the t…true problem."

"F.A.B, Brains, I'm on my way." Hooking his arms under Scott's, Virgil heaved his brother back onto the bed. Without pausing, the medic swiftly attached the IV line and connected the bag. With a glance to check that it was filtering through alright and one more check on Gordon, Virgil hurried back to the controls. In his haste, the young medic didn't notice the small piece of rock lodged in the older man's arm, situated just above the elbow.

Quickly taking the control of the gigantic machine back into his own hands, Virgil opened up the throttle and teased as much power out of her as he could manage. With a roar, the engines fired into life and caused the Thunderbird to jolt forward before it settled back into the steady momentum that Virgil was more used too. A glance out of the window showed him that Alan had double back and was now hovering uncertainly around, clearly wanting to stay nearby. Connecting himself with his younger brother, Virgil sighed.

"Go ahead, Alan. You know that we can't both land at the same time and there isn't anything that you can do here. Hell, there isn't anything _I _can do here." Alan nodded his understanding and shot away, the Thunderbird become a blur on the horizon within a matter of seconds. Not wanting to be left alone with haunting thoughts, Virgil was pleased when two of the screens hummed back into life, revealing his father and John watching him in concern.

"How's Gordon?" Jeff asked anxiously. He was on such an edge, Ohana had already hidden the coffee pot from him in preparation for what she knew was about to come. He knew that Gordon had been injured, he had been talking to Scott when the building had collapsed, meaning that he had also heard the haunting scream as his son fell. That had been bad enough, but now with Scott as well? It was going to take a while before the ex-astronaut's nerves would begin to calm down again.

"Alright, I think," Virgil pondered, now no longer sure of anything. "He fell asleep when we got back into Thunderbird Two, but was extremely restless. I've calmed him down now though, he should be asleep for a good couple of hours."

"What did you give him, Virg?" John asked, a small smile playing across his mouth. He knew what Virgil was like when he was on edge; he was prone to extreme reactions. There was no way that he would have sung Gordon a lullaby to send him into a peaceful sleep, not with all the problems occurring with Scott.

"Ok, so I sedated him. He was really restless though, I've never seen Gordon like that. Just adds to all the things that I don't know." Adding the last bit on the end with a slightly bitter twist, Jeff frowned. He was wondering how long it was going to take for Virgil to start blaming himself for this happening.

"You know plenty of things, son, and have no doubt saved your brothers again today. And Gordon has been like this before. After…after your mother died, he didn't sleep for months, the same restlessness that you seem to be describing now. I think it's his reaction to extreme times of stress."

"Oh," Virgil said softly, not sure what else he could say. He had never known that. But then again, those few months after the accident were a blur for the young artist, he didn't often try to remember things from that period of his life, it was too painful. Feeling the tears begin to prick at the corners of his eyes, the medic hastily made some excuse about tricky terrain and disconnected himself from his family, leaving Jeff and John sharing uneasy glances.

"Where is he, John?"

"Over the flattest and easiest part of the entire journey," John responded flatly. Like his father, he knew that Virgil was struggling; it was unlike him to cut them off. Luckily for them, Alan's arrival home saved any awkwardness emerging as they waited for the green Thunderbird to arrive.

"Thunderbird One to base, requesting permission to land."

"Go ahead, Alan. See you in a moment." Leaning back on his chair, Jeff stared at the ceiling with unseeing eyes. It had all seemed such a dream when International Rescue was born, go out and save lives to stop other families feeling the grief he had gone through when he had lost Lucille. The grief that had nearly destroyed the whole family. But now? Sighing deeply, Jeff wondered if he had made the biggest mistake of his life so far.

"You alright, Dad?" With a jump, Jeff sat back upright, having forgotten momentarily he was still connected to John and so his son was able to see everything. Feeling ashamed of himself for making his son witness his moment of weakness, Jeff nodded, determined to stay in control this time. With a whir, Alan's portrait spun back, revealing the exhausted and filthy boy beyond. Jeff was out of his seat before Alan could move, sweeping his youngest into a tight embrace that left Alan gasping for breath when he was finally released.

"Please tell me that you are alright," Jeff all but begged, not sure if he could take another son having trouble. Gordon and Scott were bad enough, but what with Virgil heading towards a breakdown as well and John stuck up in space, Jeff had never needed Alan to be strong as he did now. Nodding swiftly, Alan carefully manoeuvred round his father so that he was able to have a proper look at John.

"He isn't good, is he?" He asked softly, causing his fellow blond to drop his eyes, looking concerned. Despite the situation, John knew it was not the two brothers who currently resided in the sick bay of Thunderbird Two to whom the youngest was referring. Sighing, Alan ran a hand distractedly through his hair, a habit that he had picked up from Scott. Leaving ashen streaks through his blond locks, he sunk gratefully into Jeff's vacated seat and allowed himself to slump, the tension from the rescue and everything that had happened since giving him a neck ache.

Strong, warm hands almost immediately started massaging the muscle, forcing Alan to relax, despite what his mind was going through. With a grateful smile at his father, Alan leant back so that the top of his head was resting against his father's chest, his strong hands balancing softly on his shoulders. Sometimes, Jeff did not need words to offer the comfort to his boys that they so desperately needed. He only regretted that it would have to be words to soothe John, no other action was possible. Locking eyes with his father, John nodded softly, a hidden message that only Jeff could understand. He was alright, he was coping. For the time being, at least.


	4. Chapter 4

**It always amazes me how quickly it goes when you get around to the uploading part. We're on chapter 4 already...**

"Thunderbird Two to base, requesting permission to land."

Virgil's voice cut through the air sharply, causing the tension in the room to shoot up another couple of degrees. Granting permission, Jeff left the communication lines open, whilst sending an urgent message to Brains at the same time. The genius came jogging into the room, his breath short and his arms full of equipment that made Jeff's blood run cold to look at. Just how bad was this situation?

With an almighty roar, Thunderbird Two signalled its descent as the mighty engines worked to keep the craft steady. Knowing Virgil could land his baby with his eyes shut, Jeff patched himself through.

"Stay there, son. We're coming down to you. As soon as you've landed, check on your brothers and any change in their situation, inform me immediately."

"Yes sir." Virgil's tone made John and Alan share another concerned look. The medic sounded drained, emotionally and physically. With Gordon sedated and Scott suffering from something unknown, Virgil was taking it hard. One thing all of the Tracy boys had in common was the amazing ability to blame themselves for something that had happened to one of the others, Scott and Virgil being the worst as oldest and team medic. Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment to compose himself, Jeff turned back to his other boys. He too had noticed how bad the medic sounded. The last thing he could cope with at this moment in time was Virgil having a breakdown, he needed the medic to be strong to be able to help treat his brothers, and Brains was going to need all the help that he could get.

"Alan, grab the two hover stretchers from the emergency supply cupboard and follow me down to the silos with them. Brains, start making your way down there now, we need to know what state the others are in. John, connect through to your brother and see how he is holding up, then report back to me. Everyone clear?"

With a chorus of "yes sir," and a flurry of movement, Jeff tried his hardest to put himself back into the commander mode that would mean that he could look at everything in an organised manner. It was always so easy when it was directing the boys through their training and thinking of scenarios to test their reactions. Not quite so easy when it came to dealing with your own sons and potentially life threatening illnesses. Following Alan down to the silos, Jeff quickly exited the lounge, glad that he was now able to see his sons for himself rather than having to rely on Brains' amazing technology. For all the technology in the world, being able to hold the boys in the flesh was always so much better.

Left alone, John breathed deeply, anxiety working its way through him. 99% of the time, he adored being among the stars, but in the 1% that he hated it, no emotion could ever be so strong. He _loathed _being stuck all the way out here on his own, having to rely on the others to keep him posted about what was going on on the island, especially in times like this. There was no way Virgil was going to be able to cope with this on his own and, as great as Alan was, he wasn't able to listen in the same way as John – he took after Gordon too much for that. Action was Alan's strong point, not words. Flicking a switch on his watch, John steeled himself, reminding himself that Virgil was no doubt going to be stressed with the uncertainty and worry and, therefore, would not mean a lot of what he was about to say. Another reason why Alan was not a good listener was that his temper could be as short as Scott's. Stressed brothers often meant that accusations flew, more often than not with no real intent behind the words.

"Virg, you reading me, bro?" Waiting anxiously for his younger brother's response, John drummed his fingers on the panel in front of him, anxious not to hit any buttons. He had turned the gravity off once too often to be comfortable with taking frustration out on his 'bird.

"What?" Virgil's voice was sharp and demanding and, for a moment, John was taken aback, despite what he had just told himself. The medic sounded more stressed than the blond had ever heard him.

"How are they?" Deciding that there was no way that he would be able to fool his brother into believing that he had connected for anything else, John wasted no time. He also knew that he would be able to work out how Virgil was by asking about the others. Sighing, Virgil responded, sounding drained.

"Sorry, Johnny. Gordon seems alright-ish. He is still out of it at the moment, but once the sedation has worn off, he should be fine, especially once his leg is set properly. Scott? I honestly have no idea, John. He is still burning up, and his breathing remains shallow. I just don't know what is wrong with him."

"Hang on, Virg; the others are on their way. You can get him up to the infirmary in no time and then with all your crazy medical mumbo-jumbo, you'll figure it out."

Despite himself, Virgil had to laugh at John's way of explaining things. He always seemed to know what to say to cheer any of them up. How often had John been the negotiator during their youth, settling arguments that often had at least two brothers refusing to talk to each other? Smiling to himself as soon as he heard Virgil laugh, John flicked another button and patched himself through to his father, who answered almost immediately. His voice sounded almost as strained as Virgil's.

"He seems ok at the moment, Dad. He's worried, especially about Scott, but I think he is going to be able to hold it together now. The shock of what happened was too much for him earlier I think, but he seems to have pulled himself together."

"Thank God," Jeff sighed, relief coursing through him that at least one of his boys was going to be alright. Bouncing impatiently on the balls of his feet as the lift descended, Jeff could feel the anxiety radiating out from the boy beside him. Sparing his youngest son a quick glance, Jeff's frown increased when he saw Alan chewing on his bottom lip, a clear sign that the youngster was stressed. Jeff could hardly blame him, Gordon was as much his best friend as his brother and Alan had worshipped Scott as a child. It can't be easy for the kid to have to go through this. Hell, Jeff was struggling enough. Stretching out his hand, Jeff gave Alan's shoulder a comforting squeeze, an extra wave of relief steering its way through him when his son responded with a small smile.

Finally, the lift swished to a stop and Jeff was out almost before the doors were open. The imposing bulk of Thunderbird Two loomed over him, but the ex-astronaut had never before been so pleased to see the giant green machine. Sprinting from the lift, Jeff hurtled towards his sons, vaguely aware of Alan hot on his heels. In his haste, it took him a few moments to punch in the access codes, worry causing his hands to slip. Eventually, Alan gently pushed him to the side and entered the code himself, his hands remarkably steady as the numbers were entered.

Entering Virgil's most prized possession, Jeff was acutely aware of how quiet everything was. Although the murmuring of voices could be heard floating through the open door of the sick bay, the Thunderbird was unnaturally quiet without the hum of machinery and the rumbling of engines. Pushing aside the sense of dread this was causing him, the Tracy patriarch steeled himself and entered the sick bay, Alan right behind him.

If there was anything Jeff remembered from that moment when he first entered the sick bay, it was the temperature. Whether it was his own anxiety, but the temperature seemed to plummet, causing him to shiver slightly as he took in the sight before him. Gordon was lying motionless on one bed, his leg propped up and firmly strapped, his unnatural stillness causing Alan to swallow audibly. As if that wasn't bad enough, Jeff then let his eyes flicker over to where Brains and Virgil were staying, bent over the other bed anxiously.

Scott was still unconscious; the drips in his arm making the normally confident Tracy look a lot younger. With a swallow that could rival Alan's, Jeff crossed the sick bay, coming to a stop next to the other two. Slinging a comforting arm around Virgil, he asked for an update on his sons. Tuning out, Alan also crossed the sickbay, only to perch on the end of Gordon's bed. Suddenly feeling very close to tears, he picked up Gordon's unresponsive hand, wanting nothing more than to feel the red head squeeze it reassuringly. It wasn't just trouble the two of them were partners in, but everything. Gordon was the brother he turned too when everything got a bit much.

"Wake up, Gordo," Alan whispered softly, not wanting the older ones to hear him. "I need you to wake up and tell me that it's going to be alright."

"Alan? Reckon you can give Brains a hand with those stretchers?" Blinking rapidly, Alan cleared his suddenly misty eyes and gave his father a brief nod, determined that they were not going to start worrying about him as well. Following the genius back out into the main deck of the Thunderbird, Alan shouldered one of the stretchers, feeling extremely glum as he watched Brains do the same. With a near collision, the two of them managed to somehow navigate their way back into the sick bay, identical thoughts resonating through their minds as to how they were going to manage this.

"Right," Jeff paused, his mind racing. It would be easier to move Gordon first, but at the same time, it was far more crucial they got Scott to the infirmary. As much as it pained him, Jeff knew that they could do nothing for Gordon until he woke up; there was just no telling how he was feeling until then.

Scott answered the question for them. Virgil had remained by his brother's bed throughout the whole ordeal, one hand resting lightly on his brother's forehead. With a sudden surge, Scott's temperature shot through the roof, physically causing Virgil to remove his hand as if burnt. The man moaned restlessly, his head moving from side to side, as if escaping from something within his dreams. His eyes were rolling behind the closed lids, his chest heaving as he began to cough painfully, not once waking up. As sheens of sweat broke out on his brother, Virgil immediately switched back into his medical role.

"We need to move him, _now_! Brains, inflate the stretcher, will you? Dad, give me a hand with Scott. If at all possible, try not to dislodge the IV line, its crucial we get as much fluid into him as possible." Before Virgil had finished his instructions, Brains had inflated the stretcher, leaving it hovering at waist height. Manoeuvring it with some difficulty through the enclosed space, the genius somehow bought it steadily to a standstill by Scott's bed. On the count of three, Jeff and Virgil managed to shift Scott's dead weight onto the stretcher. Flicking a switch, Virgil sent it hovering in front of him, guiding it with one hand as he navigated it out of the sick bay.

"Can you stay with Gords, Alan?" Jeff asked his youngest as he hovered uncertainly by the door. It was bad enough having one of the boys hurt, but two? Jeff simply didn't know where he was supposed to go then. Should he wait with Gordon so he would be there for his second youngest when he awoke? Or should he go with Scott and do all he can to help his oldest? Nodding, Alan carefully avoided eye contact with his father, determined that he would not see the raging emotions inside.

Looking relieved, Jeff quickly hurried after Virgil, thankful the stretcher meant he wouldn't have got very far, especially if he was worried about his brother. The moment he left, Alan's composure slipped as he sat down heavily on the end of Gordon's bed. Scrubbing at his eyes with his hand, the youngest Tracy swallowed hard. How was he supposed to hide how he was feeling when emotions were running so high? Being the youngest, he was used to the others smothering him every time something happened, whether or not it was anything to do with him. But, it being Scott who was ill, the chief smotherer was out of action. With Virgil worked up about the state of the others, Gordon asleep and John stuck in space, there was no one left to comfort him. Whilst he may complain about it constantly when they did it, Alan would give anything for it now; at least it would mean they would not be in this current situation. It would mean someone would be there to tell him everything was going to be alright, rather than leaving him in the dark with no idea what was happening to his brothers.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry, this chapter is a little shorter. Bit of brotherly fluff alert! :D Don't forget to review! :)**

"You ok, kiddo?" A hoarse voice cut through the air, causing Alan to look up so quickly that his neck let out a resounding crack. Glancing at his brother, Alan felt the first true smile since they had set off on the rescue grace its way onto his features when he saw Gordon staring back at him, looking concerned.

"Am _I _alright?" he asked with a shaky laugh, sounding incredulous. "You're the one who has just been sedated! Are _you _alright?"

"Meh, been better." Gordon responded, slowly propping himself up. Frowning at how pale Alan looked, Gordon scrutinised his partner in crime closely. The kid _seemed_ alright, but blimey, Gordon wasn't sure that he had ever seen him look so stressed out.

"Sprout?" he asked softly, making Alan look towards him. "It's going to be alright." Smiling softly at Alan's expression of disbelief, Gordon continued. "Yep, before you say anything, I heard you. So here I am, missing my nice lay in because some kid brother wanted me to tell them it was alright."

"Gords, I…" Unsure of how to finish his sentence, Alan let his voice trail off, not certain of what it was he wanted to say.

"I know, Al, I know." Words were not needed; Gordon knew exactly what Alan was trying to say. How many times had they been in this situation? Before Alan could respond to his brother, another voice cut through the air, causing the youngest to jump and physically look around for the owner of the voice and glance guiltily at his watch.

"Hey, John," Trying not to smile at Gordon's attempts to get off the bed considering he had one leg tightly splinted and was still disorientated from his forced nap, Alan turned his attention to the other older brother talking to him.

"How you doing, sprout? Still holding it together?"

"Yeah, just about. Gords is awake."

"Damn," John cursed, causing Gordon to look towards the voice reproachfully, even though there was no way John could see him.

"And I thought you would be glad about that," he called; making sure his voice was loud enough to be heard through Alan's watch. However, the red head was really smiling, albeit a pain filled one that made it look more like a grimace than a smile.

"Didn't mean it like that, bro. Only, Virgil asked me to see how Alan was doing, and I think that he expected sleeping beauty to still be waiting for the prince, not back in the land of the living. He is going to be so stressed when he finds out your awake."

"Why?" Gordon asked, not quite sure where all this stress was coming from. First Alan and now Virgil? Memories from the rescue started to flicker through his mind as he thought hard about what had happened. The drugs Virgil had given him to help with the pain had made the last hour or so of the rescue a bit of a blur, but Gordon could sense that something was majorly wrong; it was as if he could feel it.

"Where's Scott?"

"Erm…" Not sure how to tell Gordon all that happened whilst he had been asleep, Alan glanced at his watch, hoping that somehow John would receive his silent message and help him out. For a long second, there was silence as Gordon stared at his younger brother, wondering what on earth he could have missed. Eventually, John took the plunge.

"Scott's out of it, Gords. The explosion caught you both as you evacuated the area. He was alright, but Virgil entered medical mode and made him take the sick bay home rather than flying his baby. Thank God for that, he collapsed not even half way home and hasn't woken up again since."

Swearing, Gordon stared at Alan. No wonder the kid was looking so stressed, no wonder he wanted Gordon to tell him that it would be alright. Virgil would no doubt be tearing his hair out, especially if they didn't know what was wrong.

"Come on, Al, help me up. We're going upstairs; I'm not waiting around down here any longer." With an enormous effort, Gordon swung his legs of the bed and attempted the difficult challenge of standing up. Eventually he managed to clamber to his feet, only to be faced with the prospect of having to hop all the way out of the silos and up to the infirmary. A challenge made even harder by the fact that the sedation was still coursing through his system, making everything twice as hard as normal.

After a few attempts of trying to balance his older brother and get through the suddenly narrow door, Alan flopped back down on the bed, struggling not to laugh at the expression on Gordon's face. As if a switch had been flipped on, the youngest Tracy suddenly knew what needed to be done. Flicking a couple of switches on the stretcher, Alan activated the device, causing it to hover next to the bed.

"Don't even think about it, Alan Tracy," Gordon warned, eyeing the stretcher with something close to dread. He was the best out of them all for sea sickness, but somehow he didn't think that even he would be able to stomach riding upstairs in that _thing._

"Come on, Gordo. How else are you planning on getting upstairs unless you want to wait to Dad and Brains to come back down and carry you up?" Arguing back, Alan knew Gordon's resistance was something that they all dreaded. But yet he couldn't see an alternative; Gordon was too heavy for him to carry by himself. After one more attempt at the door by himself, Gordon sighed. He was never going to live this down.

"Fine, fine, fine. I'll do it. But if you breathe a _word_ to anyone, mate, I will make your life a living hell."

"More than normal?" Alan asked with a cheeky grin, guiding his fellow prankster back over to the bed so he could slide onto the stretcher himself. When the red head was as comfortable as he could be on the dreaded thing, Alan casually flicked a switch and caused the stretcher to jolt forward violently.

"Oi!" Gordon cried, gripping the edges as tightly as he could, his knuckles turning white with the effort. Smirking, Alan hit another button and the two of them made their way out of Thunderbird Two. Alan tried to be as smooth as possible with the journey, fully aware that if the sedation was wearing off for Gordon, then so would the pain killers. Preoccupied about what had happened whilst he had been unconscious, Gordon was unnaturally quiet. If his leg had not been causing him problems, they all would have cleared the area, meaning Scott would not be in the situation he was now in. Gordon knew they all ridiculed Virgil for feeling responsible about anything that happened to them, but for once, the younger brother knew how he was feeling. Although it was not his fault in any shape or form – he hadn't asked for the building to collapse on him and break his leg after all – the prankster couldn't help but feel responsible. If the others were anything like Alan was now, there would be difficulty ahead.

"Dad, keep an eye on his temperature. Brains, pass me the… yes, thanks. Come on, Scott, don't do this to me!"

As the youngest members of the family entered the lounge, Virgil's voice could be heard floating through the entire villa from the infirmary. Swallowing hard, Alan glanced down at his brother, suddenly nervous. The medic sounded almost scared, as if he truly had no idea what he was dealing with. Everything felt so very real hearing his brother's tone. What if something truly terrible happened?

"Al?" Gordon's voice cut through the teenager's thoughts sharply. Jumping, Alan gave Gordon a guilty grin, knowing the older boy had known precisely what was going through his head.

"You know what the others would say if they caught you thinking like that. I'll let you off, just this once, but seriously, dude… don't even go there."

"Come on," Alan responded tonelessly, reaching to send the stretcher forward once more. He knew Gordon was right, thinking like this wouldn't help any one, but is was always so much easier said than done, especially as he knew the others would be thinking it as well. Before he could flick the switch, however, a hand closed around his, preventing any further movement.

"Promise me, Alan. Promise me you won't go down that route until I'm around to kick some sense into you."

"With the way your leg is, I reckon it could take a while before you're kicking anything."

"Alan," Gordon responded warningly. Looking his brother in the eye, Alan suddenly realised what Gordon was going through. He was feeling responsible. Of course he was, he was a Tracy. He was also worried, not just about his sick brother, but his little one as well, clearly concerned about what the blond had been through when he had not been there to help him.

"Ok, ok. I promise, Gords. Satisfied now?"

"That's more like it," Sounding satisfied with himself, Gordon smiled as he witnessed the grin spread fleetingly across Alan's face. Mission complete. Shaking his head at his brother's antics, Alan gave the button a poke, sending the stretcher floating forward. Bringing it around to a careful stop outside the infirmary, Alan swallowed, glancing at Gordon, who in turn gave him an encouraging nod.


	6. Chapter 6

**Another huge thank you for those who have reviewed, it really does mean the world to me! :)**

Pressing his palm against the panel by the side of the door, Alan stood back as they swished open, revealing the scene within. There were things everywhere. Jeff was standing by the bed, one hand resting on Scott's unresponsive one, the other adjusting some dials on a piece of complicated machinery Virgil had wired up to his brother. The medic himself had his arms full of all sorts of equipment, most of which Alan had no clue what they were for; he wasn't sure if he _wanted_ to know and found they scared the hell out of him because he didn't. Brains was standing illusively to one side, he alone appearing calm as he drew a syringe full of something. On hearing the door open, Jeff looked up.

"Alan? I thought I asked you to stay with Gordon?"

"He did," Gordon's voice floated through the open door from where he had been left, causing Alan to rush back to his side and navigate the stretcher through the door. Lining it up with the other bed in the infirmary, Alan helped his brother slide across before turning his attention back to Scott.

"How is he?" he asked tentatively, not liking the look of the equipment surrounding his oldest brother.

"We don't know," Virgil snapped waspishly, causing Alan to drop his eyes to hide the hurt. Like John had previously, the youngest was fully aware that tempers would be short in a situation like this, especially Virgil's. However, it didn't stop the hurt from being any more real when he was the one that the temper was taken out on.

"You promised," Gordon whispered from behind him, giving him a strangely comforting poke in the back. Smiling gratefully at his brother, Alan nodded, reassuring him that he was alright and pulling himself together in the process. He would need to be strong throughout this, there was no point getting upset about a tone of voice.

"The infection has settled in fast, causing your brother to react like this. Virgil isn't sure what's causing the infection, all we can do is try and keep his vitals under control until he is stable enough to figure this out." Knowing that his middle son would have no doubt hurt both of his brothers by responding like that, Jeff anxiously tried to diffuse any potentially explosive situations. Alan's temper was not something to be tested, especially in times of stress.

Watching the two closely, Jeff was aware something was going on between them. He had seen Gordon's mouth moving – even if what was said had not travelled across the room – and seen how Alan had reacted. Now Gordon was awake, Alan would be alright. Whether or not the same could be said about everyone else, however, remained to be seen. With one eye still monitoring his oldest, Jeff turned his attention to Gordon.

"How are you, son? Virgil told me you were restless. Was it the same type as- ,"

"Ok, I think we have him under control." Completely oblivious to the conversation occurring around him, Virgil cut through the middle of Jeff's questioning with a sigh of relief. The medication now flowing into his brother through the IV line seemed to have brought Scott's temperature back under control and he had settled into a deeper realm of unconsciousness, soothing the restlessness from before. Not knowing what else to do; Virgil could only leave it at that, whilst he and Brains figured out what was wrong with his brother.

"Well done, Virgil. You too, Brains." Not quite knowing what else to say, Jeff sat down rather suddenly on the chair by Scott's bedside, staring at the still face of his oldest son. This wasn't right. It was bad enough when any of them were hurt, but for it to be Scott? There was something horribly unnerving about the stillness the young man seemed to be possessing; he had never been this quiet, even as a child. He was normally the one running around like a headless chicken, trying to organise all of his brothers, even when they were old enough to not need organising. Letting his hands take the weight of his head, Jeff slumped in his chair.

"Gordon?" With one brother taken care of for the time being, Virgil instead turned his attention on the second injured brother. He only hoped that he understood why Scott had to take priority, Virgil felt guilty enough without Gordon being annoyed as well. "How are you?" Echoing his father's question, Virgil turned away to rummage in the cabinet for another shot of pain killers to give to his brother, meaning he didn't see his brother's face as he answered. With Jeff looking at the floor and Alan with his back to him, Gordon decided milking the truth wouldn't hurt anyone.

"Fine. Can't feel a thing."

"Liar." Alan interrupted suddenly, still not looking at his brother. He could tell just by Gordon's tone of voice that he was lying. Being the master of not telling Virgil when something was wrong, Alan wasn't about to give up his title that easily. Besides, he was worried about his older brother. If he wouldn't tell the truth, then Alan would do it for him. At Alan's interruption, Jeff lifted his head to look at the two youngest. Gordon was looking incredulously whilst Alan looked smug. That was all he needed to know to realise Alan was the one telling the truth and Gordon was trying to stop the others from worrying about him. Smiling, the father stood and crossed the infirmary to perch on the end of Gordon's bed. It was about time he gave his red head some attention.

"Seriously, Gordon. How are you?"

"Sore. Tired. Worried. Which one did you want to hear first?" Gordon responded tonelessly, knowing he would not be able to escape his father's questioning. Jeff frowned at him, concerned by how flat Gordon sounded, but was stopped from any further comment by Virgil's interruption.

"The tiredness will pass once you've had a decent night sleep; you just need to get the sedation out of your system. Take these for the pain, they should really help." Handing his brother the cap off a bottle, Virgil passed a glass of water over and watched as Gordon downed the tablets in one. Alan may have been able to tell without looking that Gordon had been lying, but his eyes were portraying the message just as clearly. Pain and anxiety was almost screaming out of them, tugging at the brother's heartstrings. Some times, he hated being the medic and having to witness his brothers not only in pain, but also at their most vulnerable.

"By the way, Gords, they will react mildly with any sedation still left in your system, meaning you're about to feel _really _tired. Don't fight it though, bro, get some sleep."

"Now you tell me," Gordon grumbled, already beginning to feel the effects of the combined medication.

"Sleep well, Son," Jeff said softly, ruffling Gordon's hair. Motioning to Alan, the two of them stood up and walked to the door. Glancing back, Jeff saw Gordon yawn and smiled fondly. It would do the kid good to get some sleep.

"Time we informed John what is going on. You want to hear, Virg?"

"I'll be out in a mo." Nodding his understanding, Jeff turned to exit again. About to follow his father, Alan paused when he heard a sleepy voice call him back.

"It will be alright." Smiling at Gordon, Alan knew this time his brother truly meant what he said, and knew full well that it was what he had been waiting to hear. Ignoring the puzzled look he was receiving from his father, Alan nodded and turned, walking out with Jeff right behind him.

Fiddling around with the monitors placed around Scott, Virgil wired them up so he would know immediately the second there had been any change. He could see Gordon watching him out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but echo Jeff's fond smile when he saw his brother quite clearly trying to fight off the sedation, regardless of what the medic had just told him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you once again! it's going to be over a week until the next update i'm afraid, i'm off to Italy for 8 days tomorrow! Yah! So it will be the 16th at the earliest, sorry for leaving you hanging on!**

Watching Virgil fuss around Scott, Gordon felt his eyes drift onto his unconscious brother. A tight knot formed in his stomach as Virgil attached yet another monitor. He looked so weak. As his eyes began to flicker shut, Gordon frowned as he gaze fell onto Scott's arm. Despite the attention that had just been lavished on the older man, everyone seemed to have missed something. The tear in his uniform allowed Gordon to make out a small piece of rock lodged in the pilot's arm. No wonder nothing was changing, the infection was obviously still settling in.

"Virg-," Gordon began, but found that his voice came out as no more than a faint whisper. Struggling against the pull of sleep, Gordon tried once again to get his brother's attention. It was vital someone knew other than the boy who was falling asleep again.

"Virgil," This time, Virgil heard. Spinning around to face his brother, he frowned. Gordon was struggling hard against the sedation, his faint whisper from before a clear indication he was desperate for his brother's attention before he gave in and let the sleep take him. Crossing over the room, Virgil crouched next to the bed, willing Gordon's eyes to focus on him.

"Gords? Focus on me, dude, come on, focus. What's wrong?"

"His…his…" his eyes beginning to drift shut, Virgil cursed. Gordon wasn't strong enough to fight the sedation, but was clearly anxious about something. Hoping that he would be forgiven later, Virgil slapped his brother sharply, bringing him back to reality for those few crucial seconds. Gazing blearily at his brother, Gordon took a second to remember what it was he was trying to say.

"His arm." With that, Gordon was gone, sinking back into the pillows as the sleep overtook him. Frowning, Virgil stared at Gordon's sleeping form, wondering what he was talking about. Following the direction of where his gaze had been, the medic felt his frown deepen. There was something strange about Scott's arm, the unusual height and angle he was crouched at now meant he was receiving a very different view from before.

"Dad!" Yelling for his father, Virgil scurried across the room. Gordon was too far gone now to be disturbed, and if the shout woke Scott up, then Virgil would shout till kingdom come. Swiftly cutting away the fabric on Scott's right arm, Virgil had just picked up a pair of tweezers when his father came barrelling back into the room, Alan hot on his heels.

"Hold him still, Dad. I have to get this out, _now,_" Saving the questions for later; Jeff quickly went around to the other side of the bed, holding his son still. With a quick check to see if his father was ready, Virgil plunged the tweezers into his brother's arm. The stone was lodged in deep, it was no wonder no one had been able to spot it.

It took a couple of attempts, but finally, Virgil pulled the tweezers sharply out, gripping the piece of rock firmly. Dropping it into the tray Alan was holding for him, he quickly began to clean the area, hopeful this would bring about some reaction from Scott. With a sinking heart as his brother refused to stir, Virgil then set about bandaging the wound, stemming the steady flow of blood. Jeff had gone back to holding Scott's hand, as if hoping the action would bring his son back to him, but Alan was staring at the rock, as if fascinated.

"How on earth did you find that?" Jeff asked in amazement as Virgil tied off the bandage and went to wash his hands.

"I didn't." The medic called back through, relieved Gordon had been alert enough to spot the rock. There was no telling what may have happened if it had remained lodged in Scott's arm. It was possible the normal prankster had just saved his brother's life.

"Gordon did and somehow managed to tell me, whilst fighting off the sedation. The effort took it out of him though; he's going to be asleep for most of the night now."

"Good, he deserves it."

"Hey, Virg? Come and have a look at this." Calling his brother over as he walked back into the infirmary, Alan showed Virgil the rock. The medic really didn't want to have to look at it, especially as he had just been forced to dig it out of his brother's arm, but something in Alan's tone made him cross the room.

"What? I don't get it, Al. It's just a piece of rock."

"No, _really_ look at it." Frowning at the younger man's insistence, Virgil did indeed look closer at the rock. For a second, he saw nothing out of the ordinary, but as he turned his head, something about it made the stone catch the light in a funny way.

"What the hell? Dad, come and see this."

Once Jeff had established what his two sons were talking about, the whole situation seemed to be a lot more dangerous than they had originally thought. The rock appeared to be coated in some substance, not yet recognisable to the naked eye, but clearly something that wasn't supposed to be there. Before a comment could be made, a shrill beeping resonated throughout the room, causing the two boys to look at their father as he in turn glanced at his watch.

"John," he stated softly, watching the understanding dawn on the brothers' faces.

"Come on, let's break the news."

The three of them walked side by side out of the room, only pausing so Virgil could activate something on one of the numerous monitors surrounding Scott. Once back in the lounge, Jeff almost casually flicked a switch and John's portrait smoothly morphed into the real thing.

"What's going on? How are they?"

"Gordon's asleep again; Virgil reckons he will sleep the night out now. I have to say, Virg, I wouldn't normally approve of you sedating your brother, but it has made him an easy patient for once. At least Gordon won't be going anywhere tonight."

Smiling at his father, Virgil turned to face the portrait.

"Sorry I snapped at you earlier, John. You too, Alan. I just don't know what is wrong with Scott."

Snaking his arm around his son, Jeff drew Virgil close to him, feeling the tense shoulders slowly relax in the embrace.

"Now you've removed that rock, hopefully things will begin to settle down."

"Rock?" John questioned, his face lined with worry. Momentarily turning away from his family to check a reading on one of his many scanners, he missed the confused looks that passed between the earth bound and conscious Tracy's. How were they going to explain this?

"Gords spotted something in Scott's arm and it turned out to be a rock from the rescue site. But there is something strange about it, I'm sure it's coated in some sort of substance." With his report delivered, Alan shared a worried glance with his father when John went unnaturally pale at the news. Spinning in his chair to face the other way, the astronaut gave no clue at all to explain his strange behaviour, leaving them in the dark until he spun back again. It was unlike John to react so suddenly, the others were so unsure what to make of it that saying something didn't even cross their minds.

"I was looking into the shocks whilst waiting for you guys earlier. There can be no doubt about it, those shocks were man-made. Who and how is the more worrying question, but I've already spoken to some of the officials back at the rescue sight. They've been analysing some of the rock there themselves and have sent me their report. You're right, Al, it is coated with something."

"But… how could something like this have happened?" Jeff asked, his anxiety levels beginning to creep back up. "Do you think we were targeted, John? Or was it the earthquake that provided the right conditions for the `experiment'? Or…"

"Dad, I honestly don't know." John butted in quickly, stopping his father mid flow. He had no answers to Jeff's questions, none of them did. And because there were no answers being provided, the questions were not going to stop any time soon. Glancing at Virgil, Alan shared a secret smile with his brother, knowing John hated to admit he didn't know what was going on, especially not being stuck out in space by himself.

"Dad?" John asked hesitantly, wanting desperately for his father to say yes, but knew full well the situation could mean the answer would be a resounding no.

"I'll send Alan and Virgil once they've showered." Jeff replied, drawing stunned looks from all three of his sons. Noting the disbelief, Jeff smiled.

"I have been a father for 25 years you know. I knew exactly what you were about to say John, and the answer is yes. You can come home. Put Five on automatic, any messages will get relayed through here." The look of amazement on John's face changed to one of gratefulness, causing the older blond to smile his first true smile in a couple of days.

"Boys?" Turning his attention to his two remaining earth-bound sons, Jeff smiled at the two of them as they both nodded, heading towards the stairs and towards the desperately wanted showers. Alan broke into a jog as he raced up the stairs, Virgil giving chase. Sometimes, they never grew up, something that Jeff was entirely grateful for.

"How's Virg?" John asked softly the moment his brothers were out of sight. The medic had seemed remarkably relaxed just then, but past experience meant John knew full well his brother could be bottling it all up.

"Do you know something, John, I think he is alright. He was a bit snappish earlier, and I thought he was close to panicking when the rock was first discovered in Scott's arm, but apart from that, he seemed to have managed to hold it together quite well."

A thud from upstairs followed by the sound of running feet made Jeff raise his eyebrows at his distant son, who responded with a smirk. Alan always knew how to cheer his brothers up. Unlike his partner in crime, the youngster knew where to draw the line, meaning his jokes remained as nothing more than some light-hearted fun intended to take the burden of whoever needed it the most.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the long delay! Sam1, believe it or not, this is me fulfilling my promise of updating as quickly as possible! because of the volcanic eruption in iceland, we were delayed for an entire week getting home! Should have been back last thursday, got back this morning!**

**Thank you for all of your great reviews. Sorry i haven't got around to answering them all individually yet, lack of sleep and an 18 hour coach journey because of no flights is taking its toll a little! Hope you enjoy the next chapter and thanks for being patient!**

For a few moments, father and son continued their discussion about the mystery surrounding the family. The idea someone could be targeting the family sent shudders down Jeff's spine; their lives were dangerous enough as it was with all the rescues, let alone anything else. John also seemed to be anxious, his imaginative mind often worked over time in the time of crises, and isolated with no answers meant Jeff worried about him more than he let on to the others. By the time the others had reappeared, Alan's damp hair sticking up at odd angles from where he had dragged the towel through it in a hurry, Jeff was far happier about his distant son.

"You ready for your taxi service, bro?" Alan asked, the shower having washed away a lot of the previous stress and strain from before. Although the worry was still coursing through him at a tremendous rate, knowing that he was about to fly his 'bird up to collect his brother gave him a sense of purpose and stopped him from worrying so much. The two boys crossed the room over to their respective portraits, but before they could enter the silos with a swish, a sudden beeping noise made Virgil swear violently.

"Gotta run," he yelled, already doing so, heading straight for the infirmary. Sharing anxious glances, John signed off and connected himself to Alan's watch as the other two flew after Virgil's fast retreating figure. By the time Jeff reached the infirmary, Virgil was already busy, flicking switches and reading monitors. Before he could ask what was going on, a low moan from one of the beds caused him to glance at Alan, not sure whether they should feel relief or not. Both looked at Virgil, who gave them a quick smile, relief evident on his face.

Crossing the room, Jeff perched himself on the edge of the chair he had only recently vacated. Leaning forward onto the bed, Jeff had just balanced himself comfortably when Scott's eyes flickered open. Grasping his son's hand as hard as he dared, Jeff smiled.

"Mornin' sleepy head," he muttered softly, his eyes flickering with love. Scott looked at his father blearily, his weakened state making him disorientated. The last thing he remembered was being forced into the sick bay of Thunderbird Two, despite his reassurances that he was fine. Looks like he was going to have to admit defeat in this one and tell Virgil he won.

"Wha- what happened?" his croaked, his voice hoarse and rough. Coughing, Scott struggled to sit up, determined he was going to rid himself of the annoying tickle.

"Hang on a mo," Virgil called from somewhere behind him. Reaching over, the medic altered the positioning of the bed, allowing Scott to sit up without having to support his own weight. Pouring out a glass of water, Virgil handed it to his brother.

"Sip it," he ordered, watching the pilot closely as Scott did as he was told, for once. The coolness of the water was a blessing against the burning sensation forming in his throat, making it difficult for Scott to drink it at such a slow pace. When the glass was empty, Virgil immediately took it back off his brother and came around to perch on the edge of the bed, almost knocking Alan off in the process.

"What do you remember?" He asked softly, wondering the effect the infection was having on his brother. He was so thankful to see Scott staring back at him again, even if he didn't look completely with it. Though he knew he was far from being alright. As much as it pained the medic to admit it, he wouldn't have been surprised if this was only a brief spell of consciousness and the energy required would be too much for Scott to cope with at the moment. Still, the fact he had awoken meant things were looking up.

"You didn't want me flying home," Scott began slowly, evidently having to think hard about the events. Nodding, Virgil motioned for him to continue.

"And then you said something about me being able to get Alan back if he scratched my paintwork."

"Typical," Alan butted in with a laugh, "You had to remember that bit, didn't you?" Smiling at the small smile making its way onto Scott's face, Alan glanced at his watch, making sure the channels were still open and that John was as involved in this conversation as the rest of them.

"I remember lying in the sick bay… then something was upsetting Gordon. I went to check on him…and then I woke up here."

"That sounds about right," Virgil said. "I found you halfway between your bed and Gordon's. Thankfully John had been trying to get in touch with you, or who knows how long it would have been before we realised."

"Glad to be of service," John's voice echoed mysteriously into the room, spiralling out from Alan's wrist. "Good to hear your delightful tones again, Scotty. You didn't half scare me when I couldn't get an answer."

"Sorry, John." Sinking back into the pillows, Scott let his eyes drift shut. He was so worn out; being conscious for those few moments was really draining him. Something was nagging away at him though, he felt like he had forgotten something really important. Glancing at his family surrounding him, Scott realised with a jolt what it was avoiding his attention. Sitting bolt upright again, Scott tried his hardest to ignore the fact that the room was spinning quite alarmingly and instead latched his attention on the nearest brother.

"Where's Gordon? What happened to him?"

"Whoa, calm down, dude. Gords is fine. We, as in me, had to sedate him on the way home and, combine that with the next dosage of pain killers, it has sent him into the realm of dreams. Honest, Scott, he is alright."

With a sigh of relief, Scott once more relaxed back into the bed. Exhaling slowly, the welcoming pull of sleep called to the pilot once more, sending him spiralling back into the welcoming darkness. Vaguely aware of voices above him, Scott gave up the fight of trying to stay conscious. His brothers were all alright, there was no need for him to remain with it any longer.

Smiling sadly down at Scott's sleeping form, Virgil breathed in sharply. At his father's questioning look as Scott fell back to sleep, the medic gave his father a reassuring smile.

"Only to be expected. He's fighting the infection with everything he's got; he won't have the energy for anything else. Let him sleep, it's the best thing for him at the moment."

"Not to mention it will keep him in here," Alan butted in with a smirk, knowing Virgil was just as relieved as he was they were not having to go through the normal fight with their eldest brother. He was too tired to start making it a competition of wills.

"How do you feel about a trip into space, Virg? Or would you prefer to stay here with Scott? I'm sure Brains won't mind being co-pilot for Alan."

"Hang on," John butted in suddenly, making Jeff jump. He had forgotten that his missing son was still participating in the conversation. "I can stay here, it's not a problem. If you're worried about leaving them, it isn't an issue."

"No way, John. Dad promised you could come home and that is what you are doing. They should both be fine, especially now they are asleep. Give me a bit to brief Brains on what is going on with these two and then we'll be on our way."

"Thanks, Virg, I owe you." Whilst John's voice may have sounded light hearted, all of those listening could detect the sincerity beneath his words. He really was touched Virgil would leave his patients to come and get him; the medic could be quite adamant about not going anywhere when there was someone under his care. Without another word, Virgil tore from the room, determined to hunt down the resident genius and inform him of anything and everything the medic could think of concerning his two sick brothers. The moment he left the room, Jeff and Alan shared a look.

"He's either taking this really badly and can't bear to be in the same room as them or…"

"Or our dearly beloved brother is loosening up," John supplied, finishing the end of Alan's sentence correctly. It always unnerved Jeff how often the boys thought along the same lines. It was perfect for in a rescue, but at home? Then it was just damn scary.

"I only hope that it is the second of those two options. The last thing any of us need now is for Virgil to have a breakdown." Jeff distractedly ran a hand through his already tussled hair, causing Alan to secretly smile to himself. It was all too apparent where Scott had picked up some of his habits from, echoing some of John's previous thoughts regarding habits running through the family.

"Think Gordon might be bad enough," the teenager said softly, glancing over at the sleeping form of his older brother.

"Why?" Jeff questioned, but he received no answer. Alan was in a world of his own, frowning in concern as he looked upon Gordon and Scott. Before Jeff could move, John cut in first. Sensing what Alan was thinking even if he was thousands of miles away, the astronaut casually flicked a switch and sent a shock wave resonating through Alan's watch, causing him to jump and glare at the watch face threateningly.

"Why is Gordon going to be bad enough?" The blond asked innocently, knowing without seeing that he had managed to get the reaction he desired. Something John had picked up from spending all of the months in space with only limited contact with the family, he didn't need to be able to see them – or even hear them – to know what they were thinking. The length and type of pauses meant the older brother was able to read almost all of them, Scott being the exception. It might be because he was the only one older than John, but somehow, he never could manage to work out what was going through Scott's head the way he could with the others.

"I'm not sure. It wasn't _what _he said, it was more the way he said it when we were coming up from the silos. Knowing him, he's probably blaming himself for Scott not clearing the explosion."

"But that's ridiculous," Jeff all but exploded, unable to believe where his son would have managed to pull up such a crazy notion. "How did he think of that?"

"He's a Tracy," John supplied softly. Silence fell between the three of them, none having anything more to say on the subject. Gordon's steady breathing rivalled Scott's more laboured one; a clear reminder of the threats the Thunderbird's faced when out on any of their missions. Before they could dwell too deeply on what had happened, Virgil came flying back into the room, Brains right behind him. Talking at a hundred miles per minute, the medic was in the middle of explaining something that sounded completely alien to Alan. Judging by the look on his father's face, Jeff was no clearer about what his son was talking about either. The two had enough time to exchange raised eyebrows before Virgil turned on his conscious younger brother.

"Come on then, Al. Johnny's waiting for us and you have a rocket to fly."

"Righto," Alan responded, sounding slightly stunned. The change in Virgil's attitude was slightly unnerving, but the youngest member of the family was only grateful this was what he had to cope with rather than the withdrawn, moody Virgil who often emerged when there was an injury to deal with. At his father's nod, Alan followed Virgil back into the lounge, where both boys promptly disappeared in a swish of a portrait, Jeff entering the room behind them in just enough time to see them vanish.

"Dad?" John reconnected himself via his portrait, making sure he had severed the links to Alan's watch. It would do no good if Virgil was to hear this.

"As much as it pains me to admit it, I think it might have been the first option. This isn't like Virgil at all. I don't think he has taken losing control of Scott too well."

"John, I fear you may be right. Stand by for your brothers, they're patching through now."

"Thunderbird Three requesting permission to take off. Are we clear, base?"

"Go ahead, Alan. I'll keep you posted with what is going on down here, Virg. Safe flight, boys." From his advantageous position, Jeff had a clear view of the streamline red rocket launch its way into space, handled perfectly by her excited owner. Compared to the rest of them, Alan never got the same opportunity to fly his 'bird, the monthly supply runs and the change over of rota not providing quite the same chance as a rescue. Even when he got to fly One, Jeff knew his baby much preferred to be shooting for the stars, he had too much of his father in him.


	9. Chapter 9

**As an apology for the long wait, i thought i would get this one out as quick as i could, AND it is a bit longer as well! Things beginning to hot up even more in this chapter!**

**Please review? And thank you to all of those who are taking the time to do so, means a lot!**

Sitting back in his chair, Jeff let out the explosion of breath he didn't realise he had been holding. This was the first time since finding out about Scott that the Tracy patriarch had been on his own, one or more of his sons had remained in contact ever since. Whilst he was grateful for their teamwork and support, Jeff couldn't help but feel relieved not to have one of them watching him now. Somehow, he couldn't justify showing his true worry and concern in front of the boys, he knew they would be struggling enough themselves. Someone needed to stay strong, and on this occasion, it had fallen to him, although Jeff was the first to admit that it wasn't always the case. How many times had one of them – normally Scott – had to take charge of not only something going wrong, but a dysfunctional father as well? Considering he was in control of the most advanced rescue operation the world had ever seen, Jeff Tracy was not very good at holding it together when one of his sons was in danger.

With the dropping of his defences, Jeff let his mind wonder over what John and Alan had reported earlier about the rock that had caused all of this mysterious trouble with Scott. Although he would not admit it to the others, they had enough to worry about. Jeff was deeply concerned. Yes, it could all just be a coincidence that the explosion took place right where the Thunderbirds were, but somehow, Jeff didn't think so. His contacts had been providing him with as much information as they could gather, more often than not involving themselves in potentially deadly situations to obtain it, but the Hood had been more and more active since his recent breakout. This seemed exactly the sort of thing he would come up with. And what better people to experiment on than the ones he had sworn to destroy? What better target than the Thunderbirds?

Jeff was fully aware that Alan was still victim to the occasional nightmares from spring break; although things had settled down considerably within the last couple of months, he had no intention of letting the boys know about this. Hell, he was still privy to the nightmares at times, seeing his youngest choking to death in front of him, or hearing John's cry as the missile collided with Thunderbird Five was not going to leave his mind any time soon. But for the Hood to make a reappearance now? When their lives were once more back on track, Alan maturing into the responsible Thunderbird he now was rather than the surly teenager from those few months ago.

"Mr T...T…Tracy?" Brains' voice cut through Jeff's thoughts sharply, making the slouched man jump.

"Brains," he acknowledged, shifting his position so he was at least sitting up properly. It was definitely lucky none of the boys were around, how many times did he have a go at them for not sitting up straight? "Any change?"

"N…no, Mr T…Tracy. Both s…seem s…s…stable for now. Do you w…w…want me to s…s…start an analysis on the rock?"

"I guess so, Brains, I guess so. Before you do, do you have any inclination about what sort of thing we could be dealing with here?"

"I…i…it's t…too early to tell Mr T…Tracy, but it would have t…t…taken a highly professional team of qualified s…s….scientists."

"That's what I was afraid off. I'll be in the infirmary if you need anything, Brains. I'm not leaving the other two."

Side by side, the two friends walked companionably back to the infirmary in silence. No words were needed, for what could be said? That someone was out to seemingly kill them, _again_, and that they very nearly succeeded in destroying one International Rescue member and an entire family in the process, not just the blood relatives? It wasn't just the actual Tracy's who were considered part of this family; it was far more extended than that.

Grabbing the chair he had been using earlier, Jeff positioned himself so he was in between the two beds. Watching first Gordon, then Scott, memories plagued him about the previous times he had felt this useless. First time it had been as the medics fought in vain to save his beloved wife's life. The grief had nearly destroyed Jeff and had almost succeeded in making him lose far more than just Lucille; he had come so close to losing the boys as well. The second, third and fourth times were too recent to be considered without the normal chills shooting down his back. Hearing John yell "mayday" as he was struck; being stuck watching his boys fall asleep, knowing if they did, then the chances were they would not wake up again; Alan stuck on the island with a raving lunatic. And then the final time, the time he dreamt about the most. Being shut in that cage, watching the Hood dangle Alan in front of him, and hearing his baby choke whilst pleading with the mad man to let him go!

Shuddering suddenly, Jeff sprung to his feet and sped from the infirmary. Brains gave him a sympathetic look as he disappeared, collecting the rock to begin the tests on. Things would be easier once John was home; he was good at these sorts of things. The genius was more than aware what his boss was thinking, he often had this look on his face when he was remembering spring break. Having Scott and Gordon both out of action was an easy way to make the man remember how close he had come to losing those dearest to him in the past.

Striding into the kitchen, Jeff glanced guiltily around before pouring himself a steaming mug of coffee. He knew exactly what Ohana would have to say if she caught him at the caffeine again. With a wry smile, Jeff knew precisely what _Virgil _would say if he caught his father drinking too much coffee, it seemed to be an automatic reaction to stress. It was something he had done ever since the boys were little, ever since he had lost Lucille. As the medic of the island, Virgil seemed to have established an annoyingly close watch on how much his father drank. The last time one of them was ill, Jeff had managed to drink so much coffee he hadn't slept for a week. Although, if he was honest, sleep was the farthest thought in his mind right now; he was too preoccupied with getting Scott and Gordon back on their feet.

Just as he was about to pour himself a second cup, a shrill beeping resonated from the lounge. Entering the room and flicking a couple of switches, Jeff found himself face to face with none other than Lady Penelope. Before he could say so much as hello, the British aristocrat had launched into her report.

"Jeff, darling, worrying news I'm afraid. Some of my informants have discovered the use of a new chemical supposedly being tested. To start with, I thought nothing of it; it didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. Then someone let slip a name which I thought you might be interested in."

"The Hood?" Jeff guessed, putting two and two together. It seemed his fears from earlier were about to be confirmed. Why did it always seem that Penny only contacted him when bad news was afoot? Once all of this was over, something needed to be done about her social schedule.

"Indeed yes. Apparently this chemical will induce a fever. Then it spirals down through hallucinations and the normal adverse reactions, and then apparently it is suppose to leave the victim in a coma for three to five days before death."

Penelope had barely finished her sentence before Jeff swore violently, something she knew he would never do in front of his boys. Watching her friend turn paler than she had ever seen him, the Lady had no time to question him before the patriarch sprang into action.

"Brains! Have you got any further with that analysis? Virgil, Alan report. Where are you?"

"Jeff?" Trying to interrupt the sudden panic she had somehow created in paradise, Penny frowned when she found she was being ignored. Honestly, the man could be so rude sometimes, yet the aristocrat had a sense something was very wrong on the island. Realising she was getting no where when it came to speaking, Penny instead opted for listening, trying to piece together what was occurring.

"ETA about ten minutes, Dad," Alan's voice came floating through one of the many speakers Penelope knew lined the desk of the man in charge of International Rescue. Where could Alan and Virgil possibly have been without the others? They were not each other's usual co-pilots.

"John's been on the chocolate again."

"I have not," an indignant reply sounded, making Penny smile despite herself. The brothers certainly had a close bond, but they knew exactly the right spot to hit to make another react. It was normally rather amusing to bear witness too, only this time there was something far greater occurring.

"Never mind, get back as quickly as you can. We may have a problem."

"Dad, what's happened?" Virgil's frantic reply made Penny frown. He was clearly worried, but it was almost as if he had expected something to have happened whilst he was not at home. The mystery was certainly deepening before any information was being revealed.

"I'll tell you when you get home. Brains…" Before Jeff could finish his sentence, Lady Penelope cut it. It was so obvious something was occurring, and yet no one was enlightening the Lady as to what it was. It was also clear this reaction had emerged from something she said, meaning Penny was determined to find out what was going on.

"Jeff, tell me." She all but ordered, causing Jeff to jump and glance towards the screen guiltily. It was almost as if he had totally forgotten she was present in this conversation, his mind was clearly elsewhere.

"I think the chemical has already been tested," he responded tersely, tension all too clear in his face.

"You mean..?" Not sure how she was going to finish the end of her sentence, Penny paused. Jeff's face gave her the answer she needed, but didn't want to hear.

"Scott. The boys were caught in an explosion at the end of the rescue and Scott was hit. There was a piece of rock lodged in his arm, something we didn't find until later. John said the shocks causing the explosion were man made and Alan and Virgil both think the rock was coated in something. Brains is running an analysis now."

"Oh, Jeff. I'm so sorry." Feeling at a loss of what else she could say, Penny glanced away from the screen sadly. No wonder Jeff was worried. And she had gone and described the symptoms so coldly and with such a detached sense. Not the way Jeff needed to find out what his oldest was about to go through. Before Jeff could respond, a roar of engines could be heard, followed by the intercoms crackling into life a split second afterwards.

"Thunderbird Three requesting permission to land. No, Virg, get off; you can't speak to him now, wait until we get up there. John? A little help here, please?"

Jeff frowned at Alan's communications before granting permission. Their worries about Virgil also seemed to be coming true; he was obviously causing his brothers some difficulty in the confined space of the rocket. Deciding it might be safer to go and meet them in the silos rather than waiting for them to make their way up here, Jeff pushed back his chair with a heavy heart. Those few seconds could make the difference between peace and a full scale row on his hands, not what Jeff needed. For the second time that day, Jeff made his way down to the vast maze of machinery residing under the villa. No one would guess the power that lay beneath the house; it was slightly scary when Jeff took the time to consider the implications if something went wrong. The feeling of tension as the lift came to a stop was almost as bad as the previous time the patriarch had entered the depths of the silos, but the agonising worry was even worse than beforehand.

Reaching Thunderbird Three, Jeff realised with a jolt that his worry about the boys had lent him speed, meaning the others hadn't even finished the post-flight checks on the 'bird. Letting himself in, the father immediately knew something was wrong. Being a parent for this length of time to five head strong boys meant he had a sixth sense when arguments were brewing. And this one felt like it was going to be a big one.

"John! For God's sake, John, get off!" Jeff winced as he heard Virgil's angry tones. His middle son had obviously not taken well to being told he could not speak with this father. Knowing Virgil's necessity for being in control, Jeff was guessing he hadn't taken well to Alan, his youngest brother nonetheless, telling him to get off the controls. Making his way through the passageway, Jeff headed for the cockpit, flinching as he heard the scuffle from ahead. It appeared it was about time the father took control of his sons again. Activating the door, the Tracy patriarch braced himself as the swish sounded, mentally preparing himself for what was about to come. The sight that greeted him was one Jeff had strongly been hoping they would be able to avoid.

Alan was struggling to complete the diagnostics, stretched over at an awkward angle from where he was half in his chair, half hanging over the edge. Virgil and John were off to one side, the latter with his younger brother in a headlock. The angle the two of them were at made Jeff realise John had obviously bodily pulled Virgil away from the controls, also accounting for Alan's strange position. Taking a moment to collect himself, Jeff shook his head. Whilst he may like the immaturity of the boys to the sense it could lighten up a situation, sometimes he really wished they would grow up.

"Boys? Come on now, that's enough. We have enough problems with Scott and Gordon, you lot messing around is not going to help. John, let go of your brother. Will someone tell me what this is about?"

"You said something had happened and we have a problem," Virgil began, his voice taking on an accusing tone. "Then these two decided I wasn't allowed to ask what the problem was."

"Grabbing the control when I was trying to land wasn't exactly helpful, Virg," Alan cried, his own annoyance coming through. The younger blond sighed, running a hand through his hair. With a sinking heart, Jeff noticed his youngest was looking close to tears. It seemed the stress was beginning to get to them all.

"Ok, I said that's enough. Virgil, you should know better than to try and interfere. This is Alan's Thunderbird; he knows what he is doing. You would flip if he tried the same thing in Two, don't try it in here. Alan, no harm was done, everything is alright."

"But Dad-," Alan began again; obviously annoyed his brother had basically got away with his actions. If he was the one who had tried something like that, no doubt he would have been grounded at the very least.

"I said enough!" Jeff shouted suddenly. Ignoring the taken aback expressions on his sons' faces, he continued. "Penny has some information on the rock and it is not looking good. There is every risk at the moment we are about to lose your brother, so will you lot please stop acting like children!"

Without waiting to see what the reaction was going to be, Jeff strode away from Thunderbird Three. He hadn't meant to shout at them. It had definitely not been his intention to let them know about the danger Scott was in that tone. Things were bad enough as it was. But somehow, seeing them argue like children had bought the worst out in Jeff. He didn't want to have to pretend that everything was going to be alright, didn't want to have to hide how concerned he was when Scott could be laying there dying. They were old enough to sort out their own problems.

Feeling the tears begin to trickle down his cheeks, Jeff quickened his pace, thundering out of the silos and back towards the infirmary as fast as he could. He didn't notice the portrait link was still open, meaning Lady Penelope was subjected to seeing her friend storm past, tears coursing down his face. The only thought in his mind was to get back to Scott.

**Ah. Let me know what you thought? :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry about my completely irregular updates, school is being extremely stressful at the moment!**

The three boys stood in an uncomfortable silence as their father stormed out. None of them could remember the last time they had seen him this stressed. Even after Gordon's accident, he had somehow managed to maintain some form of calm. Things were obviously looking extremely serious for the oldest Tracy brother if this was the reaction that had been provoked.

"Do you really think there is a chance we could lose Scott?" John eventually whispered. His barely audible voice echoed mysteriously in the silence resonating around the cockpit, making it seem as if he had shouted his question.

"Dad obviously thinks so," Virgil responded, his voice dead. Quite suddenly, he found his legs no longer supported his weight and the medic sat down rather abruptly, the floor being the closest option. Alan said nothing, gazing at the controls of his rocket with a certain intensity, fixating the buttons with the fierceness of his gaze. John was quite sure that if either of them had been on the end of a gaze, both him and Virgil would have cracked, it was a stare the youngest had clearly picked up from his oldest brother, who in turn developed it from having to spend several months raising his brothers. Alan was like Scott in more ways than the blond realised.

"He seemed alright earlier, I mean, all things considering, he was more alert than I would have thought. I obviously got the analysis of his condition wrong. I missed the rock, what else could I have missed?"

"Virg-," John began, anxious to reassure his brother. Before he could do so, however, Alan snapped.

"News flash, Virgil, it's not your fault and it's not about you. This is about Scott, and about Gordon, and about Dad. So for god's sake, stop blaming yourself!"

"Alan?"

"Leave me alone, John." Storming out past his brothers, Alan was barely aware of the hurt expressions on their faces, especially Virgil's. The medic looked like Alan had just slapped him, shock and pain littering his features. John watched his younger brother anxiously, this was the last thing they needed right now. Virgil looked close to tears, close to breaking himself. Not knowing what to say that wouldn't make matters worse, John simply watched. After a couple of moments, Virgil swallowed hard, obviously trying to pull himself together.

"Go after him, John. I'll go and sort Dad out and check on the others. He needs someone, and I'm certainly not that person at the moment."

"No," John responded, sighing deeply. He knew precisely what Alan needed and it was one of the things he could not have, meaning things were going to be awkward. "He needs Gordon."

Feeling despondent, John slowly walked out of the Thunderbird, thinking hard about where his brother would take refuge in a time like this. Another of the many disadvantages about spending the majority of his time up on Five, John didn't have the same knowledge as the others about the places of sanctuary. Yes, the most obvious places he could list off the top of his head and who he was most likely to find there, but instinct was telling him that Alan wouldn't be in an obvious place. Especially if he didn't want to be found.

Taking a deep breath, Virgil unfolded himself from the floor. Surprisingly, Alan's outbreak had done him good. Somehow, being accused rather than comforted had been exactly what the medic had needed. Alan was right, this was nothing to do with him; it was all about Scott. It had snapped him out of the spiral of despair he had found himself trapped in, his father's announcement making his heart feel like it had dropped out of the bottom of his stomach. The threat of losing one of them had always been present, but could this actually be happening? Steeling himself, Virgil exited the Thunderbird, vaguely wondering where his brothers had got to, and headed out of the silos towards the infirmary, where he knew the remainder of the family would be.

Crossing through the lounge, Virgil remained in his state of contemplation, entering a realm of thought he had been dreading going down. Paying absolutely no attention at all as to where he was going, the young artist visibly jumped when his name was called from somewhere in the room. Spinning around automatically, the medic scanned the room quickly, unsure of where the noise was coming from until he eyes fell on the still active portrait of Lady Penelope.

"Are you alright, Virgil darling?" the aristocrat asked, the concern apparent in her voice. It only took one glance at her face to tell Virgil that the Lady knew everything occurring on Tracy Island, possibly even more. After all, who else would Jeff had found out about the deadly situation his oldest was in?

"Fine, Penny, considering. Is it true? That Scott could be dying?"

"I'm afraid so, sweetheart. My informants found out some information about the rock your father believed has infected Scott. The chemical coating it is a deadly substance, although it is still a new development, meaning no one knows the antidote. I have a team of scientists working on it now and I know Brains is also analysing the rock your end as well. Don't give up hope, Virgil dear, something can always be found."

"Dad's so stressed," the medic continued, quite thankful someone was around to listen to him rather than be too preoccupied with their own set of worries. Penelope wouldn't try and judge him, Virgil was clear on that.

"Alan's having a breakdown, John is trying to calm him down and Gordon is still out of it because of the medication and sedation from earlier."

"Go to them, Virgil, your family needs you."

"You're right." Virgil said suddenly, snapping to attention almost as if he had just woken up properly and realised what he needed to do. "Thanks, Penny, I owe you!"

Flicking a switch, the medic deactivated the aristocrat's portrait and sped from the room quickly. She was right, as normal, his family did need him. And he needed them.

Pausing before the doors leading to the infirmary, Virgil paused. He needed a moment to collect himself, try to tell himself he wouldn't care what his father said. Jeff's previous reaction had shown his sons just how worried he was, meaning he would be liable to snap again. Telling himself he could handle it, Virgil pressed the button and waited for the doors to open.

The swish of the doors granted the medic access and cautiously, Virgil stepped through the doors. Jeff was once more in his chair, head in his hands. Gordon was still peacefully asleep, as was Scott, only not quite as relaxed as his younger brother. His body strained against the infection, almost as if he was trying to physically escape from it as he slept, twisting and turning restlessly, his eyes rolling behind the closed lids. Feeling his breath catch in his throat at seeing his older brother in such a weakened state, Virgil crossed the room so he was standing by Scott's bed. Straightening the covers around him, Virgil couldn't help but feel this was all wrong. It should have been Scott tucking him in, not the other way around. That was how it always had been. With the sheets straight, the medic rested his hand lightly against his brother's burning brow, stroking his hair back from his eyes tenderly.

"Shhh," he whispered, not really thinking nor caring about whether Scott could hear him or not. "Shhh, shh, shhh. Sleep well, big brother."

Unaware of his father watching him with tears in his eyes, Virgil was more concerned with his own watering eyes as Scott calmed under his touch, his body relaxing as he sank back into the pillows.

"Virgil," Jeff began, unfolding himself from the chair, praying his middle child didn't hear how close to cracking his voice was. "I'm so sorry, son. I didn't mean to shout at you boys, it's just…"

"I know, Dad. It's alright. I was acting pretty stupid as well. Penny told me about… about Scott." Unable to finish what it was he wanted to say, Virgil broke off midsentence and glanced away from his father, a couple of tears spilling from his eyes and rolling slowly down his cheeks. By facing the other way, Virgil didn't notice his father cross the distance between them, didn't notice him furiously scrub at his own eyes, hiding the evidence of his previous emotions. It was once more time for Jeff Tracy to be strong. Virgil was relying on him.

Wrapping his arms around his boy, Jeff pulled Virgil into a firm embrace. The open display of love made the medic crack, and it took him only a matter of seconds before the tears were streaming down his face as his shoulders shook.

"He can't die, Dad, he just can't"

"Shh, shh, shh. We'll find a way through this, together, as a family." Planting a kiss on the top of Virgil's head, Jeff was unable to stop the torrent of tears coming this time. He couldn't be strong when everything was crumbling around him. He had been through this once already and it had come so close to destroying him and the entire family. Jeff wasn't sure whether he could survive it again. Resting his chin on the untidy brown hair, father and son remained locked in the embrace as time disappeared. Eventually, Virgil's sobs subsided into something far more controllable and his shoulders slowly stopped shaking.

"Look at us," Jeff said with a shaky laugh, pulling away to look Virgil in the eye. Giving his son a watery smile, Jeff ruffled Virgil's hair fondly.

"I'm going to get cleaned up before the others arrive. Where are they, by the way?"

"No idea," Virgil answered truthfully, wondering himself whether John would have any luck tracking the youngest Tracy down.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you for your patience with this and my completely irregular updates!**

John had had no such luck yet. He had searched every place he could think off, the beach, around the pool, hell, he had even looked in Alan's _room, _yet his youngest brother's whereabouts was still eluding him. The only good thing with living on an isolated island is the blond astronaut knew his brother couldn't have got too far. It was just a matter of locating the boy. Knowing he probably wouldn't get an answer; John flicked a switch on his watch and tried to contact Alan that way. It came as no surprise when he was hastily disconnected, but it had given the older brother the advantage. He had ended up backing in the silos, drawn towards Thunderbird two, as if hoping the giant machine would provide him with the answers. Whilst that particular 'bird had remained silent, an echo of a beep had come resonating through the area, bouncing off the numerous machines and multiplying until the whole room was buzzing. Scolding himself for not looking there, John set across to Thunderbird Three, where he was almost certain to find a younger brother.

Stopping before the gigantic rocket, John glanced around; making sure Alan wasn't lurking underneath, ready to do a runner as soon as John's back was turned. It was clear, meaning there was only one place Alan would be. Striding over to the entrance to the 'bird, John quickly thumbed in the access code, frowning in annoyance when the red access denied message flashed across the pad. Alan seriously didn't want to be found if he had resorted to changing the codes just to stay away from the others. Feeling like a fool, John rapped his knuckles on the side of the ship, wincing slightly as they collided with the hard metal.

"Knock, knock. You in there, Al?"

"No, please leave a message after the tone." The sarcastic reply sounded muffled through the steel, but it was obvious Alan was sitting just the other side of the door; otherwise his older brother would not have been able to hear him at all. John grimaced, his brother was a matter of feet away, only had several tons of reinforced steel in the way. Luckily, the door didn't have its automatic seal on yet, that only happened when the engines were running, meaning communication was still possible.

"Come on, Alan, open up. I know you're upset and worried, but we all are. You can't take this personally, Al, you know how Virg gets when one of us is hurt. Please, let me in?"

"No," Sighing at the expected answer, John sat himself down on the floor in front of the rocket, wondering what was going on upstairs. Knowing Alan wasn't about to open up any time soon, the peace maker decided it was about time he let his youngest brother know a little secret that might, just might, help him get through this.

"I did this, you know. Shut myself away and refused to talk to anyone, only I didn't have a rocket to hide in. It was just after Mum died. Dad had shut himself away in his office and Scotty was stressed beyond words trying to sort all of us out. You were only a baby really, and a thirteen year old has no idea how to look after a toddler."

John paused and listened carefully for a moment. There was complete silence. Whilst Alan may have not been answering, it was clear he was still listening; otherwise footsteps would have been heard if he moved so much as an inch. Smiling softly at the idea he was finally getting through, John continued.

"I locked myself in my room, refusing to eat with the others, but preferring to have it afterwards. You probably don't remember this, Al, but you barely saw me for about a month. Eventually though, Scott practically broke down my door and ordered me to snap out of it, in a way only a big brother could manage. Funnily enough, it didn't work on me, but when I refused to answer him, Scott cracked. I thought he had been coping, but didn't realise he was really struggling. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I realised he needed me, all of us, to be strong so we could get through it together, and so I returned to the family. Only then did I realise how much I needed you guys."

Leaning back in silence, John lost himself in the past, forgetting the reason why he was recounting the painful memories of that day. None of the others knew; it was something that had remained between Scott and John ever since, but somehow; it seemed the right thing to do to tell Alan now. The kid needed it, needed to know he was not alone in this. That he would never be alone. With a soft clang, John moved away from his support just in time to see it disappear into the rocket and a younger brother taking its place.

Stepping out of his baby, Alan sat himself down on the floor next to his brother. Without saying a word, John hooked one of his arms around his younger brother's shoulders, allowing the smaller blond to rest his head on John's shoulder. Suddenly, a shrill beep resonated from John's arm, sending the vibrations shooting up his arm.

"Go away, Virg," Alan mumbled more to himself than John as he flicked a switch on his own watch. Glancing from his wrist to Alan, realisation hit John.

"You got that too?" He asked, not sure if he was going to like the answer. At Alan's nod, John felt his heart sink.

"That wasn't a normal communication," he began as his watch let out another beep.

"It was…"

"…the emergency signal," Alan supplied, jumping to his feet before holding out his hand to help pull his brother up. The two of them set off at a run through the silos, heading towards the infirmary. What could have possibly happened now?

**FABFABFABFABFABFABFABFABFABFABFABFABFABFABFABFABFABFAB**

His enemy was close by, the pilot could feel it. The call of consciousness was slowly and painfully dragging him back into the realm of the living, only to be overwhelmed with the sense of danger. He could hear the movement in the same room as him, a clear indicator the enemy was close by. Scott was sure all he had to do was open his eyes and he would see the hated face staring straight back at him, the face who haunted nearly all of their nightmares. Why he was here, the oldest brother could only guess, but that wasn't necessary. The problem was he _was_ here, in the very same room as Scott and…

With a sudden jolt, the pilot remembered who else had been in the room with him. Gordon. His second youngest baby brother was in the same room as the _monster,_ completely helpless. With a huge effort, Scott forced his eyes open. There. He could make out the figure moving on the other side of the room… heading straight for Gordon!

Springing out of bed, Scott felt the adrenaline pump through him as the figure did indeed stumble back a few paces at the sudden movement. Something tore from his arm and the wounded limb throbbed mercilessly as the pilot slowly walked threateningly towards the figure, watching him intently. No one hurt one of the Tracys, not on Scott's watch. Not after what had happened to them at Spring break. Although the others didn't know it, Scott had swore to himself he would never let anything like it happen to one of them again, and he intended to keep that promise. Gordon needed him right now.

Narrowing his eyes, Scott frowned when he saw the intruder had recovered himself and rather than backing off, was continuing to stalk menacingly towards the brothers, ignoring the warning stance of the elder. Slowly clenching his fist, Scott winced as his arm let out another resounding throb, reminding him why they were even in this situation. His eyes turned into slits as he furiously regarded the enemy, it was all _his _fault. His fault why there was an agonising pain lancing through not only Scott's arm, but his entire body, his fault why Gordon was still motionless on the bed opposite the pilot. As the enemy lifted his hands in a motion as if to soothe the furious man, Scott lunged. He was not going to lose Gordon to this monster, even if it meant losing himself.

Swinging his arm back, Scott felt an amazing amount of satisfaction as the figure hit the floor without a seconds delay. There was no time to waste, however, for the punch would only momentarily delay his enemy. Scanning the room quickly, the pilot smiled in relief when he caught sight of a syringe on the side, fully loaded with what Scott knew to be a strong sedative. It was unlike Virgil to leave things lying around if he was not in the room, but this time, Scott didn't care. It would be perfect.


	12. Chapter 12

**Slight language warning in this one- John looses his cool a bit, put it that way! Enjoy, and don't forget to tell me what you think! :)**

Jeff stared at himself in the small mirror situated above his sink. He looked a mess. His eyes were still stained red from the copious amounts of crying he had done within the last few hours. That in itself was unlike the patriarch, he was normally a man who kept a tight lid on his emotions. Lucille's death had taught him to control the bad ones, but raising five lively boys had taught him the rest. It would do no good for their father to burst out laughing when one of the boys came to him when hair dye had been sneaked into the shampoo again, leaving them with vividly coloured locks strongly resembling traffic lights. It wasn't just his eyes though, his normally tanned face was unnaturally pale and his hair was all over the place, running his hands through it in stress had done nothing for its style. Taking a deep breath, Jeff made himself look into his own eyes, knowing the trick worked wonders for regaining control of ones emotions. Just as it seemed the lid was being forced tightly back onto the overflowing pot, Jeff felt a vibration shoot up his arm, even as the beep spiralled out from the ingenious device strapped to his wrist.

Allowing a brief movement of confusion to flicker across his mind, Jeff sprinted from the bathroom; worry coursing through him as the emergency signal continued to sound with more urgency. Taking the stairs two at a time, Jeff almost collided head first with his second oldest as John and Alan barrelled in from the lounge, concern etched into their normal carefree faces. Sparing a quick glance, the three Tracy's continued on their furious dash towards the infirmary, wondering what on earth could have gone wrong now.

Slamming his hand on the panel, Jeff tore into the room as soon as the door swished back, John and Alan on his heels. The sight before them made all three stop dead, shock the only emotion they were capable of feeling. Scott was up, pinning a struggling something firmly against Gordon's bed. As he shifted position, Alan let out an audible gasp, causing the pilot to turn towards the newcomers. Tears were streaming down his face as he pinned the arm of assailant behind his body, but his hand was steady as it held the syringe, clearly planning on plunging it into the other figure.

"Scott?" Jeff began soothingly, stepping forward slowly, but not taking his eyes away from his son, ready to act if something was to go wrong.

"What's going on?"

"He's trying to take Gordon," Scott sobbed, increasing his hold on the figure. "He wants to destroy the family, wants to take Gords away from me. I can't let him, Dad, I can't."

"It's alright, son, everything is alright." Reaching the two, Jeff smoothly raised his hand, anxious not to make any sudden movements. When Scott didn't appear to see him, he quickly struck forward and plucked the syringe from his hand. Tossing across the room, far away from Scott's reach, the father felt his other two boys move in close behind him, the immediate danger having passed enough for them to react. Scott looked towards his father with tear filled eyes, before suddenly sinking to the floor, dissolving in sobs. Alarmed, Jeff dropped to his knees beside his son and wrapped him in his arms, resting Scott's head against his chest and rocking the two of them back and forth, the same way he had done so many years ago. Motioning to John, Jeff indicated the shaking figure still crumpled at the bottom of Gordon's bed and the blond sprang forward himself.

Carefully taking Virgil's arm, John gently manoeuvred his brother out of Scott's eye line, before echoing Jeff's actions and enveloping his younger brother in a firm embrace. Virgil said not a word as he collapsed onto his brother, allowing John to hold him up as the shaking continued uncontrollably. Alan hovered between the two, turning pale as Virgil remained silent and Scott continued to cry. In all of his life, Alan couldn't remember the last time he saw his eldest brother cry, and it was this more than anything that had happened so far which succeeded in unnerving the youngest Tracy.

"He was going to take him," Scott continued to sob, his tears drenching the front of his father's shirt.

"No one is going to take Gordon," Jeff soothed, continuing to rock Scott. He simply had no idea how to calm the boy down.

"No one is going to hurt anyone, you hear me? Nothing is going to happen, I'm here."

"You're here." Scott repeated faintly. The alarmed look on Alan's face gave Jeff a seconds warning before the pilot collapsed onto his father, once more unconscious. Slightly stunned about what had just happened, Jeff simply rocked back on his heels, cradling his son's head in his lap, absent mindedly running his hand through the chestnut coloured hair.

"Wha-," Swallowing hard, Alan sought his father's eyes, desperate for the reassurance he was seeking. "What the hell just happened?"

Shaking his head, Jeff looked towards his other two sons. John still had a firm hold on his younger brother, his eyes radiating concern as he looked towards his father. Virgil was as tense as rock, his whole body rigid. Pulling away slightly, John looked his younger brother in the eye.

"What happened, Virg?" the blond asked, his voice sympathetic but firm enough to ensure he received an answer.

"Not here," Virgil croaked, his voice cracking mid sentence. Quite suddenly, he darted from the infirmary, almost colliding with a stunned Brains in the doorway. Having heard the emergency signal from his lab, the genius had decided to investigate, arriving just in time to see the oldest brother once more collapse onto his father. Without a word, the man crossed the room and almost casually heaved Scott up from the floor. Immediately, Alan rushed over to help and between the two of them, managed to manoeuvre the pilot back onto his bed. Attaching a new IV line, Brains looked towards his boss.

"I'm g… g… will give him a m… mild s… s… sedative. It should keep him a… asleep."

Nodding his understanding, Jeff accepted John's helping hand gratefully and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. The three men stood in silence as Brains injected the solution into the drip, their eyes following the dissolving colour as it trickled into the arm of one whom they loved. Slowly, Scott's posture relaxed as the drug took effect, causing all three to let out the breath they didn't know they had been holding.

"Don't wanna-," Glancing at each other in surprise, the three men then turned to Gordon's bed, noting he was stirring slightly. Crossing the room, Jeff perched himself by Gordon's head, running his hand through the copper hair as Gordon continued to mumble sleepily.

"Don't like pink…" The corners of his mouth twitching as he caught sight of Alan's expression, Jeff decided it was time to find out what Gordon was dreaming about.

"Gordon? Son?" His voice soft and calming, Jeff smiled warmly as Gordon's eyes flickered open, completely disorientated.

"Don't like pink, Dad." He mumbled, his unfocused eyes only seeing his father.

"I know, Gordo, I know. Why do you need to tell me now?"

"Virgil wanted to paint it pink."

"Paint what?"

"Four. Can't let him…," As Alan burst out laughing, Gordon frowned in confusion at noise before sinking back into the pillows. Within seconds, he was snoring softly again, making his father smile fondly down at him.

"I…I think the n…n..noise would have d…d…woken him, Mr T…Tracy," Brains reported, running his eyes over the sleeping figure, calculating. "He s..should be fine now." Standing up, Jeff tucked the covers around his sleeping son, the white cast over his leg a clear indication of what Virgil had been doing before the incident.

"Let's find Virgil." Jeff said softly, not being able to take much more of this situation. "Brains, please come. I have a feeling you may know what is going on, my friend."

Silently, the four companions made their way out of the infirmary, hearts heavy. Alan knew things were bad, but somehow, seeing something like that actually happen made the situation seem suddenly more real, as if Scott really was slipping away from them. And judging by the behaviour, fast.

They didn't have to look far to find the missing member of their party. Perched on the windowsill, Virgil gave no inclination he had heard their approach, instead continuing to gaze out on to the calming ocean spread for as far as the eye could see. Walking slowly over to his son, Jeff lay his hand upon the artist's shoulder, feeling through his shirt how tense the medic was. Giving his shoulder a supporting squeeze, Jeff asked what he was reluctant to say.

"What happened?" Swallowing hard, the artist turned to face his father, dried tear tracks visibly on his unusually pale face. It was the look in his eyes that caught Jeff's heart more than anything, being accused of trying to take his brother had obviously hurt Virgil more than he was ever going to admit, the pain was obvious.

"I was finishing sorting out Gordon's leg when Scott stirred," Virgil whispered, his voice coming out as a croak as he struggled to find the words to explain what had just happened.

"I tried to talk to him, but he just looked at me as if he didn't know who I was. And then… then he sprang and knocked me to the floor. Next thing I know, I'm pinned against Gordon's bed and he has that _thing _in his hand ready…"

A fresh set of tears spilling over, Virgil broke off and returned his gaze back to the sea, determined the others wouldn't see him cry. Jeff wrapped his arms around his boy's shoulder, resting his head atop Virgil's. Alan and John had crossed the room to join them, both laying a hand on Virgil's shoulders. Although the medic said not a word, Jeff felt his posture relax and sink into the embrace, showing the touch was all the comfort and support he could ask for right now.

"Ok Brains," Jeff sighed, feeling as if any more bad news would break the usually strong man. "Have you got any further with the analysis? What the hell is happening to my son?"

"I h… have discovered it is a new substance," the genius began, his voice becoming far more confident. It was strange, times of stress always seemed to minimise Brains' stutter; spring break was an example of that.

"S… Scientists have w... worked on it for a while, but it s… seems s... s… someone has uncovered the secret to it. What Scott is s… suffering now is one of the symptoms, hallucinations. You are r… right Virgil, he d… d… didn't recognise you. No doubt he was s… seeing an enemy. The sedation should prevent something like this happening again."

"If we don't find a cure," Alan cut in, his voice unusually steady. "What happens to my brother?"

"He has two days, judging by the way the chemical has worked its way into his system. C… chances are, he won't regain consciousness in the mean time."

"Shit." John abruptly stood up and walked out of the room, heading straight back to the infirmary. Watching him go, Jeff gently restrained Alan from going after him.

"He needs a moment," he said softly, knowing the astronaut was not one to talk about his feelings. Glancing at his feet, Alan nodded, trying to swallow past the lump suddenly present in his throat. Virgil gave an involuntary shudder under his father's touch, and Jeff responded by tightening his grip. Silence fell over the room, no one knowing what to say. This was really happening. They were losing Scott.

With a sudden blare of noise, Lady Penelope's portrait once more came to life. Nodding to Brains, Jeff didn't move as the genius connected them with the aristocrat. Unusually for her, the Lady looked rather ruffled, her hands flickering furiously through the pile of paperwork she had in front of her, clearly looking for something. Glancing up as she was connected, Penny gave the family a sad smile; their position apparent things were not being taken well over on the other end. Penelope didn't know what to say, and knew anything she did say would not help matters. No words could offer the comfort the Tracys so desperately needed right now.

"You have news, Penny?" Jeff asked, his voice sounding tired. The emotions of the day were really beginning to play upon the father. Was it really this morning the boys returned from the rescue? Jeff felt drained enough for it to have been about a month ago.

"Possibly. My team may have come across something, but I don't want to get any false hopes up, Jeff. You have to understand, this is all one big possibility."

"Possibilities are all we have left, Penny," Jeff responded sadly, tightening his grip on Virgil and Alan, as if letting go of them means they too would be lost.

"Well, if you promise you won't do anything rash. The informant who provided the information about the Hood's connection has just made contact again. They have found out there is a lab, on the outskirts of Australia. It is just possibly…"

"They have the cure!" Alan finished for her, springing away from his father so he could face him, hope and excitement gleaming in his young eyes.

"Slow down, Al," Virgil butted in, his face crumpled into a frown.

"Outskirts of Australia," he mused, thoughts racing. Seeking out his father, Virgil knew his father was having the same thoughts as him.

"So close. You know this is most likely to be a trap?"

"I know, Virg, I know. That's why…"

"But Dad!" Alan's voice cut through the middle of the conversation between his father and his older brother, completely indignant. "If there is the smallest chance it could save Scott, we have to go. Who cares if it is a trap, we can handle it!"

"If you let me finish," Jeff responded, far sharper than he intended, his heart beating uncomfortably fast. The coincidence of this lab being so close to the island was far from chance, especially considering the Hood knew precisely where they were based. Most likely he let the information slip so it wouldn't just be one Thunderbird he could claim. The bond between the family was all too apparent to anyone who had ever met them, and the Hood had witnessed first hand that a team of Tracy's were no match for anyone. He would have known they would do anything to save one of their own. At Alan's silence, Jeff continued, not missing the stubborn look on his youngest son's face. He was not going to like this plan.

"As I was saying. Yes, it is most likely to be a trap, which is why I am going alone."

His sentence delivered, Jeff squeezed his eyes shut to block out the look on the boy's faces. It didn't stop him from hearing the cry of outrage, not just from Alan, but from Virgil as well. Even Brains had a say in about what a stupid idea that was, only not in so many words.

"You can't Dad-,"

"Let us come too-,"

"Mr T… T… Tracy-,"

"Quiet!" Taking a deep breath, Jeff opened his eyes. Ignoring the others, he turned towards Penelope, thankful she at least had stayed quiet. The look on her face told the ex-astronaut precisely what she thought of his plan, but luckily, the aristocrat knew better than to challenge Jeff Tracy when it came to one of his sons.

"Now, that's better. Penny, send me over the co-ordinates for the lab. Before any of you say _anything_, no, you are not coming. Yes, I expect you to stay here and look after your brothers. And no, you are not going to change my mind on any of the above, either. Clear?"

"Yes Sir," Virgil mumbled, his tone of voice telling his father that was far from the case, however.

"Alan?"

"Yeah, I guess. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"No one is asking you to like it, Al, just accept it." Jeff responded softly, giving his son's shoulder a squeeze before crossing over to Penny's portrait.

"Ok, Penny, send me the co-ordinates." Nodding her understanding, Lady Penelope did just that, hating herself for not having the courage to stand up to Jeff and tell him he was more likely to get himself killed than to save Scott. The Hood was never one to let important information slip, but then again, he had underestimated the Thunderbirds once before. She could only hope he had done it again.

Watching their father scribble down the co-ordinates, the two remaining Tracy's stood side by side, worry reflected equally in their eyes. Their father turned and gave them a reassuring smile, before heading down to the silos without a word. Knowing he was heading for Tracy One's silo, the brother's shared worried looks. She may have been their fastest plane, but they were in for a very long wait.

No one noticed the shadow behind the door, having heard everything that was going on. Two brothers' had already been hurt, one of whom they were losing. There was no way on this earth John Tracy was about to let his father go alone.


	13. Chapter 13

**As usual, thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed! :)**

Alan crept through the silos, navigating his way around the vast machinery with a stealth only accomplished through practice. Being half of the terrible two had its advantages, being able to sneak one of them. Silently slipping through the slightly open door, the youngest Tracy paused as he glanced anxiously at the gleaming plane. Checking his father was no where in sight, Alan crept towards the plane, hoping his father would already be in the cockpit and so would not hear him enter. Jeff would not be impressed if he found his son was disobeying him. That was something not to have happened since the spring, not since Alan had matured.

Closer and closer the youngest Tracy crept, hardly daring to breathe as he reached the open door. Good, he still had time to get on board before the doors automatically sealed themselves during the take off procedures. He would have been really stumped if Jeff had already shut them. Once shut, there was simply no way they could be opened from the outside, not without alerting everyone in the whole villa precisely what he was up too. Holding his breath completely, Alan carefully lifted his foot and silently placed it on the ramp.

Before he could take another step, however, a hand clamped itself over his mouth, stifling the surprised cry the boy emitted. Dragging him away from the plane, John kept his voice low, also anxious not to be discovered.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Alan Tracy?" he asked, his voice taking on his best "big brother" voice he could manage at the time. Even so, he still removed his hand, knowing Alan wasn't about to give them away.

"The same as you, by the looks of things," Alan whispered back furiously, his heart thudding loudly. "God, John, you trying to give me a heart attack? Now please, if we are going, we _really_ need to go, Dad's about to shut the doors."

"No way. Go back upstairs or I'll call Virg to come and get you. You are not coming, Alan, it's too dangerous."

"Virgil knows I'm here. Now, either you hurry up, or we go without you. Either way, John, I'm not missing that flight."

"I am so going to kick your ass when we get back," John whispered, a grin making its way onto his face all the same. With a nod at his brother, the two boys sprinted silently across the silo, ducking into the plane and crouching behind some crates, just in time. With a rumble, the door began to close, sealing them in. This was it; there was no going back now.

For a while, the two brothers were silent as Jeff took off, the worry of what they were about to do and what they were leaving behind preoccupying both of their minds. Needing to distract himself from the unpleasant thoughts plaguing his thoughts, John turned to his brother.

"How come Virgil let you come?" he whispered, anxious to keep his voice low. Not that there was a lot Jeff could do about it now, but even so, discovery was not on the blonds' agenda, either of them.

"He didn't." Alan responded with a non committal shrug of his shoulders. "He has no idea I'm here, I just needed to get you off my back."

"Ok, I take it back. I'll let Virg do the ass-kicking. You know he is going to kill you when he finds out?"

"Maybe. But I'm not the only one missing." With a meaningful look at his brother, Alan grinned triumphantly as John realised what he was getting at. Older or younger, both brothers were going to be in serious trouble with the artist when they returned, leaving him like that without telling him where they were going or, perhaps more importantly, not giving him the chance to come as well. John had his reasons for wanting to do this alone though. They were both his younger brothers, meaning his protective instinct would be in overdrive, not something he needed when he wanted to focus on finding the cure. Virgil would be worse, the experience with Scott in the infirmary had left the medic shaken, more than he was showing. Whilst he may not have been pleased with the idea of Alan tagging along, the sprout was better than Virgil, and at least it meant he wouldn't have to do this alone.

Before John had a chance to voice his thoughts to his sibling, the plane gave a shudder as the engines began to work harder. Suddenly looking anxious, the two glanced at each other, their emotions reflected perfectly in the other's face. They were coming into land. It was now or never, their brother's life depended on it.

With a well practiced ease, their father bought the plan down to land. Whilst they knew their father was able to land a plane smoothly in any given condition, it did give the boys an insight into the type of facility they were about to infiltrate. The runway was smooth, this was obviously a place designed to accommodate planes and it was somewhere that had been well maintained. Whilst usually, especially on a rescue, good maintenance was always a bonus, it wasn't going to make things easy now.

"Do you actually _have _a plan?" Alan whispered, knowing they had a few moments before their father exited the plane. Not only would he be running through the post-flight checks, ready to make sure the plane could leave at a seconds notice, but the head of the family would most likely be preparing himself mentally as well.

"Get off the plane before Dad notices?" John suggested quietly, hearing the distant sounds of his father's footsteps heading their way. With a startled glance, Alan also heard the footsteps.

"Run!" He whispered furiously and the two brothers leapt to their feet and scurried over to the opening. Praying the door would open in time for them to leave the plane before their father reached it, the two bounced on the balls of their feet, mimicking each others actions perfectly. With a whir of the motor, the door began its smooth transition from closed to open. Before it was even halfway through its descent, Alan squeezed himself through the gap, his lanky form allowing him to make the drop to the floor with no issues at all. Following his younger brother's example for once, John also stole through the gap, albeit a much wider one by this point. Their dad would have reached the door by the time it was fully open, there was no point in hanging around waiting to be found.

Dropping to the floor, John tensed his legs automatically, allowing them to take the impact of the fall. A hand grabbed his shoulder, almost unbalancing the astronaut, and quickly pulled him backwards. Taking the hint, John scurried back under the plane, crouching in the shadows next to Alan, just in time. Hardly daring to breathe, the two boys remained hidden under the plane as their father left. Pausing, Jeff looked around carefully, obviously calculating his best options. Feeling like his thudding hearth was about to give them away, Alan ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth, trying to moisten it. When it had gone so dry, he wasn't sure, but this feeling he had only experienced to this extent once before. Spring break. Glancing sideways at his brother, Alan had never been so grateful to have John's quiet confidence beside him, the unwavering hope none of the others seem to posses in the same way. Watching John narrow his eyes suddenly, Alan snapped his attention back onto his father. What he saw made his heart sink. Carefully tucking the weapon into the waist band of his jeans, Jeff Tracy had not come unprepared.

Not aware of his audience, Jeff strode forward with soft steps, a confidence in his stride covering up his true emotions. He hadn't gone more than a couple of paces when something made him pause. He had this sense he was being watched, although the feeling wasn't a hostile one. Glancing over his shoulder at the plane, Jeff frowned. There was no one by it, yet the feeling persisted. Trying to shake it off as paranoia, the billionaire continued on his mission.

Breathing a sigh of relief, John removed his hand from over his brother's mouth, ignoring the furious glance accompanying the action.

"Next time you decide to hit your head on the underneath of a plane, don't do it when Dad is in earshot. That language, Alan…"

"Shut up, John." Alan grumbled, rubbing the sore spot. Of all the things that could have happened. He was only trying to get a better look where his father was heading, but the thud that accompanied it had nearly led to discovery, especially when Jeff had paused and had caused his second eldest's heart to jump through his mouth. Alan had been alright, he had been too distracted by the impact to notice their predicament. Lying flat on the hard ground, Alan rested his head on his arms, turning to face his brother.

"So. Any bright ideas about what we do now?"

"Shh." The hissed reply made Alan jump. Next to him, John had tensed, his whole body going stiff with anticipation. Before he could ask what was happening, voices could be heard floating across the compound. Not quite able to make out what was being said, Alan was sure of one thing, one thing not at all good. His dad had been seen.

With baited breath, neither boy moved so much as an inch, both straining their ears to try and make out what was being said across the runway. Voices were raised in anger, although the words were not clear enough to carry across the vast space, it was enough for them to guess the exchange. Suddenly, there as a sound that they both recognised, causing them to not only jump violently, but turn towards each other, fear evident in their eyes.

"Gun shots," John muttered to himself more than Alan, but is seemed to make the younger of the two react. Scrambling forward, Alan made to crawl out from under the plane. Before he had gone anywhere though, a hand forcefully dragged him back, checking quickly around to make sure no one had noticed the movement.

"What are you planning to do, Al? March up and demand they let Dad go?"

"Have you got a better idea?" Alan demanded harshly, his worry making him lose control. John didn't so much as blink at the aggressive attitude of his brother, instead turning away and scanning their surroundings with a well trained eye. Knowing his brother was planning something, Alan kept quiet, biting his lip to try and alleviate some of the worry.

"Don't suppose you're armed in anyway, are you?" John asked suddenly, a frown puckered between his eyes, clearing thinking. Alan made to respond with a resounding no when he felt his pockets. Pulling out the device with a rueful smile, Alan gestured to his hand.

"A rock thrower?" John asked incredulous, his eyes falling on the gadget. Virgil had made it for Alan years ago; the youngster's ability to skim stones had been appalling.

"It saved my life, you know." Alan said bluntly, watching the realisation dawn in John's eyes. His brother didn't need to ask which time the teenager was referring too, it was obvious.

"Got any rocks?" he said quietly, chewing on his own lip in turn. This would be dangerous, extremely dangerous. But could possibly just work. Watching Alan pat the pockets of his jeans again, he let a small smile when his younger sibling pulled a handful of rocks from his pocket. Why he carried them around with him, John would never know. For now, he was just thankful he did.

"See those buildings over there?" He asked his brother, gesturing as well as he could considering their position. At Alan's nod, he continued.

"Get yourself up there. You should be able to get a clear shot into the buildings where they have taken Dad. Get ready, but wait until my signal."

"What are you going to do?"

"Get myself caught."

"What? John, you can't, it's too dangerous. For all you know, that place is a maze, meaning I won't be able to see a thing anyway. Then what is the plan, with you and Dad caught and me stuck on a roof?"

"Relax, Al, I know what I am doing. Looking at the style of building, it should all be open plan, all the new ones are. I can get myself into where Dad is, then you create a distraction, taking out as many as the guards as you can, we grab the cure, then we all run for it."

"That is the most stupid plan I've ever heard." Alan responded, overwhelmed at the risk John was prepared to take. There were so many "ifs" in the plan; it would be a miracle if even the simplest part of it worked."

"Any other ideas what will save Scott?" John asked quietly, the concern in his voice echoed in his eyes. Realising just how worried his brother was, Alan swallowed nervously, but agreed all the same. Slowly and carefully crawling from out under the plane, he reached behind him and helped John out, gripping his forearm slightly harder than he would have otherwise done. Returning the grip, John smiled encouragingly.

"Show time, Sprout. Be careful!"

"You too." Taking a deep breath, the two brothers stood side by side, waiting for the race to begin. The finishing line was all of the Tracys still being alive at the end.


	14. Chapter 14

**Wow, have you seen how many updates in the last few days on here have just left them on cliffhangers? Have to remember to keep breathing, i've nearly fallen off my seat and/or cried so many times today! But that is only because you guys are all such great writers!**

**Anywho, next update is here. And guess who is finally back in it at the beginning? Yep, who you've all been asking for!**

Virgil sat with his head in his hands, dried tear tracks running down his cheeks. But the young artist had no tears left to cry, his eyes dry as his heart felt like it was breaking as he watched the still form of his older brother. This couldn't be happening. He was going to wake up in a minute and find it was all some bad dream, for which Gordon would mock him and Scott would watch on in worry, concerned about his brother's imagination. But no matter how often Virgil told himself that, and even tried pinching himself, he was not going to wake up, for this was his reality.

"Scott…" Jumping at the voice, Virgil lifted his head, his eyes searching the infirmary. No one else was there, which in itself confused the artist. He knew John preferred to cope with things on his own, but it was unlike Alan to have not returned, especially as Gordon was also here. Thinking about his red-headed brother, Virgil turned his attention to the younger boy, immediately realising whose voice it had been as Gordon cried out again. Climbing slowly out of his chair, Virgil swallowed before crossing the room to perch on Gordon's bed. He may not have been able to do anything for his older brother, but he could still help his younger one.

"Gordo?" The medic called softly, noting in concern that Gordon's brow was crumpled, a clear indication that he was scared. It was strange the things Virgil could pick up after spending so long looking after them when they were ill. Even the way they slept told him enough about how they were feeling. He knew the sedation would be wearing off for his brother, and, unaware that Gordon had already awoken once, was surprise it had taken this long.

"Scott!"

"Gordon, wake up." Virgil repeated firmly, giving his brother a small shake, mindful of his injuries. Luckily, it worked and Gordon snapped his eyes open, staring around him unseeingly. Brushing a stray lock of hair back from Gordon's forehead, Virgil softly drew his attention back to reality and onto his brother.

"Hey, bro. Welcome back to the land of the living." Immediately inwardly flinching at his choice of words, Virgil tried to hide it from Gordon as the red head slowly came round, his eyes gaining focus as the latched onto Virgil's face. Realising where he was, Gordon blinked slowly, his eyes reflecting the worry Virgil himself was feeling.

"It wasn't a dream?" Gordon whispered softly, his eyes almost pleading with Virgil to tell him otherwise. Smiling softly at the fact Gordon wanted it to be the same as Virgil and all just a fragment of their imagination, he gently shook his head.

"Sorry, Gords. It's real."

"Scott?" Swallowing hard, Virgil glanced across at the other bed where the still form of his brother resided, uncharacteristically still. As if sensing his brother's distress, Gordon latched his hand onto Virgil's, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"What'd I miss?" He mumbled sleepily, refusing to let go of Virgil's hand. Turning his attention back to Gordon, Virgil tried to put on a brave front, but knew immediately by the look on Gordon's face that it didn't fool the younger boy for a moment. For being so light-hearted, Gordon certainly had a scary depth at being able to tell when something was wrong. Not wanting to recount what precisely had happened with Scott, Virgil instead opted for the medical basis, hoping a lot of it would slide by Gordon. Not wanting to worry him when he was still so weak himself, Virgil spouted a load of medical terms, knowing that he would have to say something. As Gordon frowned in contemplation, Virgil glanced back towards Scott, hoping he was protecting his younger brother from the truth until he was able to handle it. After a few moments silence, Gordon spoke again.

"He can't go, Virg. We, I, us…we need him." As Virgil turned to look at him again, surprise echoed in his eyes at Gordon's ability to work out what he had just been told, Gordon smiled.

"WASP. We all have to have a thorough medical training. You're not the only one around here who knows what that means. Please, tell me it isn't true. Please, Virgil, it can't be…"

"I'm sorry, Gordon."

"No!" Gordon cried, tried to pull away from Virgil, but this time, it was the older brother who latched on, not letting Gordon's hand escape his own. Turning his head away from his brother, Gordon swallowed hard, not wanting to accept it.

"No! He can't… he can't give up on us. He never would have let us give up. Make him fight it, Virgil, please. You have to make him fight it."

Gently turning Gordon's head back towards him, Virgil shut his eyes at the look of anguish on Gordon's face, but it wasn't enough to block out the sounds of his pleading. Hitching himself further onto the bed, Virgil wrapped his free arm around the younger boy, making to pull him closer only to have Gordon resist him.

"Why isn't he fighting? Why is he giving up?"

"He's not, Gordon. But sometimes…" Sighing deeply, Virgil stared unseeing over Gordon's head. "Sometimes you just can't fight everything. Remember Dad's favourite saying?"

"We can't save everyone," Gordon mumbled, making no move to wipe away the tears spilling over from his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Gords."

"Me too." Finally allowing Virgil to draw him in, Gordon relaxed into his older brother, allowing Virgil to take his weight. For a few moments, the two boys sat in silence, both far too wrapped up in their own worry for words.

"Where's Dad?" Gordon eventually whispered, his voice hoarse. Feeling Virgil stiffen beneath him, Gordon sat up so he was able to look his brother face on.

"He… kind of…"

"Virgil, tell me."

"Penny had some information and Dad has gone after the lead. It is just possible they have a cure." Watching the hope and delight spark into Gordon's eyes, Virgil pressed on hurriedly.

"Don't get too excited, Gords, we don't know for sure. And with the place being where it is, chances are it is a trap."

"Where are John and Alan?"

Surprised by the sudden change in conversation, Virgil paused. For the first time since he had returned to the infirmary, Virgil frowned, considering Gordon's question. Where_ were_ John and Alan? A slight niggle in his gut told him precisely where he thought they would be, but surely not? Not after their father had strictly forbidden them to go. Virgil could expect that sort of rashness from Alan, especially when it concerned a brother being in trouble, he had too much of Scott in him. But John? The older blond was never one for irrational behaviour. Pushing the thought from his mind, Virgil forced himself to smile tightly.

"Resting." He declared, unable to believe he was lying outright to Gordon. He would go and look for his brothers in a moment, but part of him refused they would do anything as foolish as go with Jeff. Then again, John had reacted rather violently to hearing about Scott… Not wanting to worry Gordon further, Virgil decided he would leave it at that and go and see if he could find them in a bit.

Glancing at his brother, the medic knew immediately that Gordon didn't believe him, but could also tell by his face that he would receive no more information from Virgil about his two missing brothers. As Scott turned slightly in his sleep, Gordon bit his lip, before pushing himself more upright on the bed.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"I have to get to Scott." Sighing, Virgil rolled his eyes. He knew that there was a reason he had been so thankful that Gordon had remained asleep for this length of time.

"You can see him from there. Stay where you are, Gordon."

Gordon, however, had other ideas and was in the process of trying to hop down from the bed before Virgil realised he was serious. Climbing off the bed himself, Virgil then lay his hand firmly on Gordon's shoulder, trying to stop the red head.

What he had underestimated was quite how stubborn Gordon could be when he wanted. Shrugging off the restraining hand, Gordon managed to get himself into a standing position, clutching onto the bed to maintain his balance as he stood on one leg. Glancing over at Scott, Gordon was just in the process of working out the best way to cross the infirmary when a figure blocked his path.

"Gordon. Bed. Now." Virgil practically growled, not in the mood to take anything from the usual troublemaker.

"No. I have to be with him, Virg. It's my fault he is like this, I have to be closer."

"I'm not telling you again, Gordon."

"Oh stop sounding like Dad and get out of my way, Virgil." Blinking at the aggressive attitude, Virgil felt his own stubbornness roaring into life. It wasn't just that the best place for Gordon was in bed, but he didn't want the younger man to see quite how bad Scott looked up close, nor feel how his skin felt dry, yet as if on fire at the same time. At least from a distance, Scott could practically pass for looking as if he was sleeping, albeit wired up to numerous monitors. There was no way Virgil was going to let Gordon realise quite what their older brother was in the process of going through. Making as if to move out of the way, Virgil waited until Gordon had let go of the bed and was off balance before moving.

Quickly rounding his brother, Virgil caught Gordon around the shoulders and pulled him sharply backwards, making him tumble back onto the bed, whilst at the same time being mindful of his leg. Watching the defiance spring into Gordon's eyes, Virgil groaned. He should have known that would not have been a good idea. Once Gordon was riled up, he went the full way. His temper may not last long compared to John's, who could stew for days given the chance, but the red head could get quite fired up, often with an explosive result. As Gordon once more pushed himself upright, Virgil fixed his brother with a combined medic and big brother look, hoping it would do the trick.

It didn't. Gordon instead took one look at Virgil's face and set his own, adamant that this time, Virgil wasn't going to have his own way. All he wanted to do was sit with his brother. It wasn't as if he was asking to run a marathon or anything. Not realising Virgil was trying to protect him, Gordon couldn't work out what the problem was with him simply crossing the infirmary.

"Virgil-,"

"No, Gordon. You are staying put, or so help me, I will make you." As Virgil glared at Gordon, the younger glared back with equal intensity, the Tracy stubbornness coming out strongly in both the red head and his brown haired brother. Whilst all of the boys differed with their own individual talents, the one thing that all five of them shared was the stubborn trait, something they no doubt inherited from their equally stubborn father. Whilst Jeff usually admired their determination, it was occasions like this that that particular trait was not at all helpful. Appearing to back down, Gordon sank into the pillows, causing Virgil to relax. Keeping an eye carefully on his older brother as Virgil turned away to monitor a reading coming from Scott, Gordon reacted.

Swinging himself quickly up again, the prankster managed to maintain his balance a lot quicker this time around now he knew what position was best for his leg. Hearing the noise, Virgil spun around sharply, his eyes narrowing in anger at his younger brother. Standing with his hands on his hips, the artist didn't realise quite how much he resembled his father until Gordon looked up. Visibly swallowing at the look of outrage on his brother's face, he tried to offer Virgil a sheepish grin, but the medic in Virgil was having none of it. If he couldn't protect Scott, he was going to try his damn hardest to protect Gordon, even if it was from the truth.

"Get back into bed. You have five seconds. One."

"Virg-,"

"Two,"

"All I want-,"

"Three."

"_Please."_

"Four."

"Damn it, Virgil, let me be with my brother!"

"Five." For a long second, the two brothers glared at each other, both adamant that they weren't going to be the ones to back down on this.

"Why won't you let me be with my big brother?" Gordon eventually cried, his frustration and worry coming through. The overwhelming emotions coupled with the fact that he was standing on one leg and in pain made Gordon faze out a little, the room momentarily flickering to black before returning. It was the invitation Virgil needed, however, and he quickly strode forward and gently pushed Gordon back on the bed. He could tell by now that it was nothing to do with wanting to go against the medic, but more the sense of hopelessness that Virgil himself was feeling. Sitting down on the bed next to his little brother, Virgil once more draped his arm around Gordon.

"Come on, Gords. Don't make this hard, just _please_, stay in bed for me?"

"I just want to help him, Virg." But the fight had gone out of Gordon's voice and he sagged against his brother, feeling utterly exhausted. Virgil manoeuvred the pair of them so they were both once more on the bed, before slowly rubbing circles across Gordon's back, knowing that had always worked to soothe the younger boy in the past. It worked, and before long, Virgil could sense Gordon's eyes once more drifting shut.

Gently lifting his brother and positioning him so he was lying down again, Virgil slid his arm out from behind him, but stayed on the edge of the bed, keeping his hand resting atop of Gordon's.

"Don't fight it, Gords, get some rest." Keeping his voice low, Virgil smiled fondly at the stubborn youth as Gordon slowly succumbed to sleep.

"Wake me if something happens?" He mumbled, just about being able to form the words.

"I promise." A small smile gracing his lips, Gordon fell asleep, the grip on Virgil's hand slowly lessening as he sank into the land of dreams once more.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Jeff struggled furiously against his captors, his worry for Scott lending him strength he didn't know he possessed. Two men were already out cold, but reinforcements had arrived, and slowly but surely, the Tracy patriarch was being forced deeper into the building. One of the men had grabbed his gun at the beginning, meaning he was left unarmed as he made his way into his enemy's lair. He wasn't too sure what he planned to do with it, but it had reassured him to have the comforting weight of the weapon. As he ducked a swinging fist and responded with a punch of his own, causing the man to fit the floor hard, Jeff was thankful he hadn't allowed any of the boys to come. At least he knew whatever happened, they would be safe. As another man snuck up behind him and grabbed one of his arms, Jeff felt his knees buckle as not only was the limb suddenly twisted up behind his back, but another man also struck out at his legs, causing him to be the one to suddenly hit the floor. Immediately, the men pinned him down and firmly tied his hands behind his back. If this didn't work, Jeff thought suddenly, his boys wouldn't be safe. They would be torn apart by grief when the infection claimed Scott. Struggling hard, Jeff lashed out with his foot as he was hauled to his feet, connecting with the stomach of the man in front of him. A sharp jab in the back caused him to stumble forwards and, laughing mockingly, the gang forced him into the building, the door closing behind them.

Not sure what to do, Jeff stopped struggling and allowed himself to be lead deeper into the lab. Everything was open, meaning the entire place was there to witness as the prisoner was bought in. His head hanging, Jeff thought furiously. He had to find a way out of this; he _had _to find the cure before it was too late. The thought it may not even be here, that this whole thing had been launched on a possible speculation refused to cross his mind. He was going to save his son, if it was the last thing he did. Forcing him into a chair, one of the men secured his hands to the wooden frame, meaning Jeff Tracy was well and truly stuck.

"Tell the boss," the man commanded in a sharp voiced that left no alternative but to be obeyed. This was a powerful man, Jeff realised, his mind racing. But obviously not at the top of this operation, there was still the "boss". Only hoping this boss was not who he thought it was going to be, Jeff quickly looked around the lab, searching for anything to give him a clue about what would save Scott. He hadn't been looking for long when suddenly all of the inhabitants in the lab stopped what they were doing… and bowed. His head snapping back around fast, Jeff glared at the figure that had materialised in front of him. Hatred pounded through his blood and he furiously tugged at his bonds, determined to break free and launch himself at this monster. Red eyes stared back at him, the hatred reflected, although a mocking smile played around the Hood's mouth.

"Well, well, well if it isn't the great Jeff Tracy, come to mingle with us mere mortals. Welcome to my humble abode. I see you didn't wait for my invitation. How are your boys?" With a knowing smile, the Hood leered at his prisoner, all of his dreams coming true as Jeff struggled against the ropes. When the leader of International Rescue refused to answer him, the mad man continued.

"I suppose they are not all well. Oh dear me. Why else would you be here if you weren't after this?" Pulling a small phial from the inside of his ropes, the Hood held the bottle up to the light, allowing it to filter through the clear liquid it contained. Jeff froze, eyeing the bottle with some close to desperation.

"Please. Do what you like with me, but don't let my son die. Let me send it back to the island, then I promise I'll come quietly."

"But come where? I already have you, Jeff. So why on earth would I want to save one of your pitiful sons? That just makes it even more fun. Indulge me, which one is it? Little Alan? Or maybe the fish, gasping for life as he flounders outside of the water?"

"Please," Jeff begged, once more tugging fruitlessly at the rope. It wasn't budging. Watching Jeff with satisfaction, the Hood motioned to one of the men standing behind him. The man jumped at being addressed by the Hood himself and scurried forward, bowing all the way.

"Why don't we reunite the great Jeff Tracy with one of his precious sons?" As the man scurried off, Jeff could feel his heart thudding hard against his chest. What did he mean? None of the boys were here, the situation Jeff himself was in the very reason why he had forbidden them to come. Watching the door with his breath held, Jeff felt a rage boil inside him as it opened once more. Two men appeared, and tightly held between them, was John. The boy was quiet; not seeming to struggle at all as he was dragged into the room, but Jeff was knew that could mean nothing. John was always the quietest out of all the Tracys, but it was merely the calm before the storm. And when his storm broke out, there would be hell to pay.

"John?" Jeff's voice came out as no more than a whisper, cracking with emotion as the men came to a stop, his son all but hanging between them. His head jerking up, John sought out his father's eyes. Seeing the black eye beginning to come through, Jeff grinded his teeth together, before turning back to his enemy.

"Let him go." He stated, authority ringing within his voice. No one disobeyed Jeff when he used this tone - something his sons could testify - but the Hood was not going to abide by the normal rules. He simply continued to leer mockingly at Jeff, delight dancing across his twisted features.

"I thought we just had this conversation. Now it seems I get the pleasure of destroying two Tracys myself. Although it will be quicker than the third. He will slowly be trapped in agony, unable to free himself from the clutches of pain as his body shuts down around him."

"Stop it!" Jeff yelled, his eyes on John. The blond was tense, his eyes on the floor. His father was not sure how much more he would be able to take of this.

"How does it feel being back in space, John?" The Hood turned his attention to the younger Tracy, his tone light, almost as if he was pleasantly inquiring into a friend's health. Underlying the tone, however, the hatred could be heard, mercilessly pounding out in waves. "Forgotten, abandoned. No one to protect you when random attacks destroy your ship and leave you vulnerable?"

"Shut up!" Jeff shouted, the desperation all too apparent in his voice. John once more sought out his father's eyes. Not breaking the contact, Jeff tried to reassure his son. One thing the two of them had developed was the ability to say a lot without saying much at all. It was something of a necessity when John moved to Thunderbird Five, especially after the incident at Spring break. Luckily, his oldest blond seemed to receive the message, for his blink of acceptance made Jeff sigh in relief, causing the Hood to glance towards him, obviously puzzled by the silent interaction.

"So," he began once more, his drawling voice sending shudders down Jeff's spine. He certainly had a voice of nightmares. And considering how many nights he had spent haunting one Tracy or another, it suited him perfectly. Before he had the chance to say anything else, John suddenly acted, causing everyone, Jeff included, to jump in surprise. Lashing out with his foot, John bought it sharply up behind him, sinking it straight into the stomach of one of the men holding him.

Before anyone could act, a shrill crashing noise resonated through the room as the window behind the Hood shattered, a small pebble lying innocently on the floor next to the scattered glass.

Spinning around wildly, the workers began to panic as a second stone shot through the window, closely followed by a third. The men holding John didn't stand a chance, both hitting the floor out cold before they realised what was happening. Glancing towards the floor, Jeff caught sight of a further two pebbles resting on the tiled floor. As one, Jeff and the Hood spoke, one voice echoing with pride, the other with resentment.

"Alan."

Jumping over the bodies of the men, John sprinted towards his father. Dodging the Hood's poor attempt to stop him, the young man scrambled for the chair, stumbling in his haste. Coming to a skidding stop on his knees directly behind Jeff, John hastily began working at the knots, his fingers flying. The Hood didn't move, watching all that was occurring with a cool sense of detachment. Feeling the ropes begin to move, Jeff tugged sharply, feeling relieved as they slid off, freeing himself of the accursed thing. Before John had time to comprehend what was happening, his father pulled him into a fierce hug.

"I thought I told you to stay at home?" he whispered lightly, before stepping back to stand side by side with his boy, facing their enemy. The majority of the workers had now fled the scene, those remaining cowering against the far wall. They would cause no trouble to the Tracys.

"I still win." The Hood said flatly, waving the bottle at them. So far, they had achieved nothing by this, apart from a new set of injuries. Certainly no way to save Scott. Making to step forward, Jeff froze when John suddenly dropped beside him, clutching his head in agony. Dropping to his knees by his son, Jeff took one look at the pain filled eyes and felt his resolve fail.


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for being late again, blame the exams. Gees, the one this morning *shudder***

**Another bit of strong language in this chappie, just to warn you!**

"Now we have a dilemma," the Hood continued conversationally. "Who do you save? John here, or whoever back at home? My guess is that is it your oldest, my sources tell me he can be rather protective. If it wasn't him, I would imagine he would be here instead of John and Alan. My, what a team they made, don't you agree, Jeff?"

"Let him go," Jeff begged, tears pooling in his eyes as John let out another soft groan, obviously trying to hide the agonising pain shooting through his head. Jeff knew, though, knew what he was going through. Penny had described it to him when they had tried to establish what sort of powers the Hood possessed.

"Certainly, if you are prepared to sacrifice another son for him."

"Don't Dad," John gasped suddenly, grabbing hold of his fathers' arm to turn Jeff's attention back to him, even if it did look like his father had two heads at this precise moment as his vision wavered somewhat. "Save Scott, the others need him more."

"No, John, we need you as well."

"Ooh, I do love dilemmas," the Hood cut in smugly, stepping backwards just to ensure he was out of the reach of Jeff. What he didn't know, however, is that he had just given the remaining Tracy a clear view of what was going on.

Seeing his brother on the floor in apparent agony, Alan felt a fury he didn't know he was capable of possessing. First Scott and now John? The youngest knew precisely what game the Hood was playing, the one to make his father break as easily as his pebble had broken the window. And it would work as well. His sons were Jeff's weakness, everyone knew this. But the manic seemed to have forgotten about Alan.

Sliding silently off the roof, Alan dropped to the ground, remaining crouched until he had properly regained his balance. Thanking Scott under his breath for teaching him how to fight, Alan threw himself through the broken window, straight at the Hood.

Too busy watching Jeff, the Hood didn't notice the flying blond until it was too late. Crashing to the floor, the manic flashed his eyes and Alan was sent flying across the room, smacking hard into the wall opposite. Jeff's head followed his son's flight in horror. Now Alan as well?

"Oh, don't worry, Jeff. You won't have to choose for him. I intend on finishing young Alan off anyway, I won't make you chose." His hand resting on John's chest, Jeff watched with worry as Alan painfully climbed to his feet. His eyes flickering towards John, Jeff followed his gaze and saw his son's eyes were open. Winking, John shook his head the tiniest amount, causing Jeff to realise what was going on. Alan's interruption had weakened the Hood's hold over the boy, meaning John, at this moment in time, was free. As the two Tracy's subconsciously tensed, the Hood frowned. This wasn't the reaction he was after.

"Run!" Alan suddenly shouted, and with a spring, father and son leapt to their feet and raced for the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Jeff?" The Hood called mockingly after them. Shoving the boys through the door in front of him, Jeff turned and flashed his own mocking smile at his enemy.

"Nope," With that, he was gone, pelting full speed after John and Alan. The elder had slowed considerably, his head obviously giving him more trouble than he would admit.

"Please tell me that meant what I think it did," Jeff begged of Alan, who raised his hand in triumph. Clenched in his fist, a small bottle of clear liquid was clutched tightly. Setting off at a jog, the three shared a winning smile as a howl of outraged filtered out after them.

"Looks like the Hood just found out what he was missing," John commented with a smile.

"Let's not stick around long enough to find out," his father responded, his voice terse. With a last burst of energy, the three Tracys reached the plane. Within seconds, they were all in, John being pushed rather forcibly by Alan into the seat at the back whilst he took the co-pilots seat. Fingers flying, Jeff and Alan prepared the plane for take off, anxious to get away from this dreaded place. As the doors to the lab burst open and an army of workers spilt out from inside looking deadly, the engines finally roared into life. Jerking on the controls, Jeff sharply bought the plane around as the first gun shots began to sound. Pushing her to her limits, Tracy One was sent shooting off down the runway, rising into the air with a slight wobble. Glancing out of the window, Alan smiled at the sight of the Hood framed in the doorway, his look of outrage apparent even from their ever increasing height.

"Are you alright, John?" Jeff asked, concern etched into his voice.

"Mmm hmm," John responded, causing his father to look back towards him in concern. Slouched in the seat, John was almost asleep, the onslaught of pain making his eyes feel heavy. Smiling fondly at his sleepy son, Jeff sighed deeply.

"This isn't over yet."

Resting back in his seat, Alan closed his eyes. They had it. They had the cure. Suddenly feeling very tired, Alan didn't realise he had drifted off until his father's hand was gently shaking him awake, a small smile playing across his mouth, not quite reaching his eyes. Stretching, Alan climbed stiffly from his seat, smiling himself when he saw John was also asleep. Watching his father wake his brother, Alan felt a sudden rush of love towards his family, causing him to suddenly fling his arms around both John and Jeff at the same time, hugging them tightly. John fondly ruffled his kid brother's hair as he climbed from his own seat.

"After you, boys," Jeff said softly, motioning towards the door. A mixture of adrenaline and nerves shot through Alan, making him hesitate. What if the cure didn't work?

Reading his mind, John looped his arm over Alan's shoulders, guiding him towards the door himself.

"I'm fine, John," Alan declared obstinately. Smiling at the stubborn teenager, John leant a little heavier on his brother.

"I'm not." Concern flickered over Alan's face, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he took the weight of his brother and led him upstairs, painfully aware this was the second time within 24hours he had been made to help an injured brother upstairs. Was that all it had been? The day felt like it had been continuing for months, yet it was only early that morning the dishevelled boys had headed for home after a tiresome rescue. No wonder he felt tired.

Entering the lounge, the two brothers set off towards the infirmary. Before they were half way there, a furious chestnut-haired figure blocked their path. His eyes flickering over the state of his brother's, Virgil refused to let go of his anger.

"Where the hell have you two been? Have you any idea how worried I've been? Scott took a turn for the worse, Brains had to give him a stronger sedative to stop him hurting himself in his sleep, and it still doesn't seem enough to control him. And then you two go and vanish on me. Where the _hell _have you-,"

Breaking of in his rant, Virgil froze, his eyes on the figure that had silently appeared behind his brothers.

"Dad?" Virgil whispered, suddenly no longer able to find his voice. If his father had returned, then did that mean..?

Holding up the small phial, Jeff smiled at the transformation that overtook the face of his middle son. Suddenly, the missing hope sparked back into life in Virgil's eyes, making him look years younger. Snatching the precious bottle out of his father's hand, the artist tore back into the infirmary in record time. Following him more slowly, the remaining Tracy's steeled themselves before entering the infirmary.

Evidence things had been worse was clear from the second they stepped through the door. Equipment was spread all over the room. Scott was wired up to nearly every device the family owned, waves and lines measuring different things. His heart thudding suddenly very loudly, Jeff paled as Virgil silently handed the phial to Brains. A thud behind him made Virgil turn around sharply, to find a pale Alan had suddenly pushed a shaking John into a chair.

"Whoa, Johnny! Are you alright?"

"Fine." John responded, his voice tight. His eyes were fixed on the phial in Brains' hand, his fist clenching and relaxing alternatively as the genius drew the solution out into a syringe. With a glance at Jeff, who nodded, Brains crossed the room. The whole infirmary seemed to breathe in sharply as the man slowly emptied the contents into Scott's arm.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then… beep… beep… beep.

Virgil's sudden smile was enough to tell Jeff that the news was looking good, but he still needed to know.

"Virg?"

"His heart rate has settled," Virgil responded excitedly, racing around the room, checking various monitors. "His breathing has evened out; oxygen levels are reaching normal again, Brains."

Suddenly spinning and sitting suddenly down on the end of Scott's bed, Virgil locked eyes with his father.

"You did it." He whispered, his voice cracking with emotion as the realisation hit him. Scott was going to be ok.

"Not alone," Jeff responded, glancing back towards Alan and John. The younger had his hand resting on John's shoulder, who was still looking awful.

"We did it." Alan said, a smile mirroring Virgil's splitting his face in two.

"We did it, we did it, we did it!" Dancing around the room, Alan couldn't help but whoop in delight as his eyes fell on the resting form of his oldest brother. No longer was Scott straining against the infection, no more was he tossing and turning restlessly. Instead, the pilot had slipped into a more peaceful sleep, the frown leaving his face and making him look young and vulnerable.

"He is going to be asleep for a while," Virgil reported, the smile coming through in his voice. "The amount of sedation we have given him, not to mention the fact he will still be trying to rid his body of the infection means we shouldn't expect him to stir for a while." Beaming at his father, Virgil's smile slipped slightly as he regarded his other older brother. Whilst looking pleased, John's reaction had been no where near to the extent of Alan's. Crossing the room, Virgil crouched in front of his brother.

"What's wrong, John?"

"Nothing a good night's sleep won't cure," John responded a little too quickly, anxious to try and shake Virgil off. It wasn't as if there was anything he could do too help.

"Do you mind if I turn in?" John asked quietly, his eyes fixed on his father. Jeff nodded, granting permission to his son, the frown not leaving his face. Silently, John stood and exited the room, conscious of the stares on his back.

"What the bloody hell-,"

"Language, Virgil," Jeff cut in automatically, the relief reminding him of his more normal duties as a father.

"Don't leave me out of this." Virgil warned quietly.

"The Hood did something to him," Alan cut in, realising his father wasn't going to answer. Whilst Jeff may have been wanting to protect Virgil from the truth of what had happened, Alan knew what it felt like to be left out, and he was not prepared to put his brother through that.

"The same thing he did to Lady Penelope and Parker in spring."

"You mean-?"

"Yep."

"Shit!"

"Yep. Dad, don't worry, he _will _be all right. It may be painful now, but trust me, he is going to be fine."

"I know," Jeff responded suddenly, placing his faith in his youngest. He would go and check on John in a moment, but there was something he needed to say first.

"You did well out there, Alan. And you too, Virgil, dealing with the medical side of this. Even Gordon, even though he has spent nearly the whole incident asleep."

"I envy him," Virgil muttered, just loud enough for Alan to voice his agreement.

"I'm proud of you boys. All of you. And I love you all, so much." As if suddenly self conscious of his speech, Jeff cleared his throat and walked out of the room, intent on checking on John.

Sharing smiles, Alan and Virgil grinned at each other. Pulling Alan suddenly into a hug, Virgil held on just long enough for his brother to know he meant it, before switching to a headlock and rubbing his knuckles into the younger boy's scalp.

"You did good, kiddo."

"Weren't too bad yourself, old man." Alan responded with a cheeky grin, too tired to take it any further than that. With a fond smile, Alan left the room, intent on catching up on some much needed sleep himself.

Pausing outside of the infirmary, Alan frowned when he caught sight of his father standing still in the middle of the hallway.

"Dad?" Jeff visibly jumped as his son called him, turning to face Alan, who frowned when he saw quite how pale his father was. He knew that the last 24 hours had been tough on his father, but he thought that by now, Jeff would at least be looking better. Jogging over to where his father was, Alan's frown deepened when he caught sight of the look on his face.

"What's up, Dad?"

"John just shut me out." Jeff responded tonelessly, staring in concern in the direct of his second oldest son's room. Alan echoed his expression and also gazed up the stairs, as if it would grant him access into his brother's room.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing." Jeff responded, sounding as confused as Alan was fast becoming. "I just went up to check on him and he practically threw me out and shut his door. I think he has changed the code as well, I can't get back in."

"I'll talk to him." Alan promised, setting off up the stairs as he spoke. The feeling of worry he had become so used too over the last day was returning, settling onto his heart like snow settling onto a mountain. Rapping his knuckles on the door, Alan listened hard for any movement from within.

"Johnny? You alright, dude?" Silence met Alan's enquiry, and when he tried to let himself into his brother's room, found that his father had been right about the codes changing, for John's room was firmly shut against anyone entering against his wishes.

"John? Open up, John! If you don't, I'll….i'll climb over the balcony. You know I can, and that I will. John?"

"Alan?" Jumping as his name was called, Alan took one more longing look at the shut door before turning his attention back down the stairs.

"What's up, Virg?"

"Gordon made me promise him to wake him up if anything happened. I'm just about to wake him now, do you want to be there?" Momentarily forgetting John's stubbornness, Alan grinned. John clearly wasn't going anywhere, and the youngest wanted nothing more than seeing his best friend alert once again. Jogging down the stairs again, Alan followed Virgil back into the infirmary, noting with amusement quite how dramatically his feelings had changed since he last walked through the doors. Immediately crossing the infirmary, Alan perched on the edge of Gordon's bed, practically bouncing up and down with excitement. Remembering Gordon's mood from when he last awakened, Virgil shot Alan a warning glance, making the younger boy calm down, before gently shaking his brother by the shoulder.

"Gordon? Hey, fish, wake up for me." Smiling fondly at the use of Gordon's old nickname, Alan willed his brother to respond to Virgil's calls, and the red head did. Almost immediately his eyes flickered open, as if he was waiting for Virgil to wake him, and locked eyes with his older brother. Before either of them could say a word, Gordon spoke.

"Scott?" He whispered softly, but he already knew the answer. The look of relief in Virgil's eyes and how relaxed his brother was said it all. Smiling, Gordon shifted himself so that he was sitting up more, Virgil immediately altering the bed's position to support him.

"How you doing, Sprout?"

"I'm awesome, Gords. How are _you _doing?" Watching his brother, Alan momentarily frowned when Gordon shot Virgil a look, before claiming that he was fine. The response Virgil gave Gordon in turn told Alan enough to know that something had happened between them when he and John were off helping their father. Pushing it to the back of his mind, Alan let it go. If they wanted him to know, they would tell him. If not, then there was no point asking, for the Tracy boys all had an amazing habit of closing up completely when they didn't want to share something.

"What happened?" Gordon asked, his eyes locked on the now calmly resting Scott. Whilst he had not been allowed to witness his brother at his worst, even Gordon could tell that Scott had reacted to something and the fever had broken.

"Dad, Al and John got the cure. He's safe, Gords, they did it."

"Atta boy, Allie," Gordon muttered, leaning back into the pillows in relief as he watched Scott. Feeling Virgil's gaze on him, Gordon flicked his eyes towards his brother questioningly.

"Do you want to go over there?" Virgil asked quietly, almost laughing at the look that shot over Gordon's face. Considering how close he had been to sedating his brother earlier due to his stubbornness to stay in bed, Virgil wasn't surprised that Gordon looked astonished.

"Don't you want me to stay here?" Gordon questioned, the very slightest trace of bitterness in his voice. Following the interaction with a puzzled frown, Alan had had enough of his brothers talking in code.

"What happened?" He asked bluntly, knowing they would see straight through any of his attempts to hide his curiosity.

"Virgil was stubborn." Gordon butted in quickly, forgetting to duck the cuff to his head, albeit a lighter one than normal.

"Yeah, because you were such an angel. Come on, trouble, you going over or not?"

"I'm always an angel," Gordon commented lightly, easing himself off the bed. Gratefully allowing Alan to support him over to the chair, he missed the relieved smiles shared between his brothers. None of the boys, however, noticed their father lounging in the doorway, watching the interaction with a smile. At the hidden messages of a row, Jeff stored the information away for later, he would find out what happened at another time. Right now, he was glad to see three of the five happy.

Lowering Gordon into the chair, Alan perched on the arm, mirroring his brother's actions and watching Scott's sleeping form intently. Time passed as the three of them stood guard over their older brother, attempting to protect him in the way he had always protected them. Returning with a fresh cup of coffee hours later, Jeff set the mug down with a smile, surveying the peaceful scene in front of him. Scott was sleeping peacefully, all of the pain and confusion from earlier having disappeared as he slept off the sedation. Gordon had fallen asleep and somehow, Virgil and Alan had moved him back to the bed. Alan was leaning against the bed, head resting back, also asleep. In his sleep, Gordon's hand had slipped and was resting just by Alan's head, the younger having unconsciously leaned into the touch. Virgil was also asleep, curled up on the end of Scott's bed, although how he wasn't sitting on his brother's feet, Jeff didn't know.

Crossing the room, Jeff quietly opened a cupboard and pulled out the spare blankets before draping them over his sons. Sighing deeply, he decided to try once again to get through to John, despite having been trying for the last few hours. The blond was just refusing access to anyone, Brains had even tried, but met the same result as his employer.

John leant shakily back against his door, wiping his hand across his nose and wincing when he caught sight of the red smear. This had to be at least the third nose bleed since they had returned home, hence his refusal to let anyone in his room. He had known something was wrong almost immediately, resulting in him unceremoniously throwing his father out, although looking back on it now, he realised that was the easiest thing he could have done to let the rest of them be thrown into protective mode again.

He had just about stopped the first nose bleed when he heard Alan the other side of his door, threatening to climb over the balcony and causing John some cause for alarm. He knew full well his youngest brother would make good on his promise, he had done it before. Gordon's back had been playing him up, and rather than admit to anyone he was in pain, he instead opted for locking himself in his room. This would have been fine if he hadn't managed to make Scott worry so much that Alan had eventually climbed from his own balcony, somehow made it across the roof and onto Gordon's, nearly giving their father a heart attack in the process when he caught sight of his youngest son climbing across the roof. Luckily, Virgil's voice had called him away. Although he could not hear what was being said, John had heard Gordon's name, and knew immediately that would get Alan off his back for a while.

Unfortunately, his father hadn't given up that easily and had spent the entire evening trying to get through John's door. He had even tried to get Brains to have a go at overriding the codes, but John knew how to stay one step ahead of the genius. There was only one person that could figure out his trick, and Scott wasn't going to be bothering him any time soon. Pushing himself up from the floor, John made his way into the bathroom, trying to stem the flow of blood. His head was pounding, making the blond feel increasingly sick, and the last thing he wanted was to have to deal with another nose bleed.

Luckily, it seemed to be lighter than the previous ones, stopping within a relatively short space of time. Swallowing dryly, John cupped his hands together and splashed the cold water over his face; washing away the remaining blood and making him feel a lot better. Resting his head against the coolness of the sink, John couldn't help but let a groan escape him. He wanted to be downstairs with his brothers, but wasn't in the mood for Virgil, especially as his younger brother would know doubt want to properly examine John, something the blond thought was unnecessary. If Gordon had indeed woken up, then he would also be full of questions, and John knew Alan would make him tell his half. It was far simpler simply to stay in the coolness of his room, even if it did deny him precious time with Scott. Feeling his stomach heave, John quickly bent over the sink, but there was nothing in his stomach to bring up. Food hadn't crossed any of their minds over the last few hours, something the astronomer was eternally grateful for at this moment in time.

Sliding down onto the cool floor, John leant back against the wall, leaning his head back and sighing deeply, trying to alleviate the pressure. Maybe he would be better trying to slip back downstairs and grabbing something for the pain, even if it did mean having to face some of the others. Before he could pluck up the energy to contemplate moving, sounds from outside his door sounded again, causing the blond to merely roll his eyes. Jeff thought they were stubborn, but at least they didn't spend half a day trying to get through a shut door. Although saying that, between the five of them, one of the brothers always knew how to get through to another.

"Johnny? Answer me, please, Son. Just let me know that you are alright." Running his tongue over the dry roof of his mouth, John wondered whether he should answer or not. Judging by how bad he was feeling, his voice would give him away and make his father worry, but clearly not answering was having the same effect. Deciding to answer the door and finally be allowed some peace, John climbed unsteadily to his feet. And promptly collapsed back down again with a thud and a muffled groan.

**Well...i couldn't let him off lightly now, could I? I'm sure that is against the rules in this section of FF! :) Please review?**


	16. Chapter 16

**Don't blame me, blame the stupid exams. Oh well, four down, 1 to go -and a ten day gap until it as well - yay! Means i've finally got the time to update!**

**Sorry for the wait, things really have been completely stressful and horrid here!**

Jeff was leaning against the wall outside of John's room, resisting the urge to simply throw something. His usually calm son was normally the easiest to deal with, his temper, whilst it could be furious, took a lot more to work up than the majority of his brothers. However, it didn't mean the young man was any less stubborn, and it was taking all of Jeff's efforts for him not to simply yell at his son to open the door or risk being grounded.

Suddenly, a sound caught his ear and made him jump away from the wall in surprise. That had definitely been movement, but it was the type that made Jeff's blood run cold. It had sounded like something falling, and judging by the groan that could softly be heard from underneath the door, Jeff had a very good idea of what. Cursing John's ability to over ride the computers, Jeff did the only think he could think of. Snatching up the plant pot standing in the corner of the hallway, he threw it as hard as he could at John's door, sending it crashing into the control panel outside and causing his door to swish open angrily.

"Dad?" Jeff both heard Virgil's sleepy voice call up the stairs, and at the same time, it was almost as if the sound had been muted. Across the threshold of his bathroom door, John lay flat out on the floor, eyes closed, face pale. His breath hitching in his throat, Jeff immediately dropped to his knees and scrambled across the floor on all fours, the only thought lodged in his mind being to get to his son. This couldn't be happening, not now. Not now they had Scott back and that one brother was going to be alright. The Hood surely hadn't meant what he said about the price of saving Scott being John? They had interrupted him, Alan had managed to snatch the cure away without any deals being made. This couldn't be happening, Penny had promised that John would be alright after he had spoken to her earlier.

Visually checking his boy over, Jeff knew he had to get him to the infirmary immediately. That would make it three out of the five there, in just one day. He was going to grey by the time the night was out. Struggling to his knees, Jeff half lifted John into his arms, uttering a soft groan at the weight.

"Johnny?" The horrified whisper from behind him made Jeff gently lower John back down again before turning around to find Virgil frozen in the doorway, a look of horror over his young face. Slowly lifting his eyes to meet Jeff's, Virgil swallowed hard, going visibly pale. Slightly worried that another son was about to pass out on him, Jeff stood up and forced Virgil onto the edge of his brother's bed.

"Deep breaths, son. That's it, come on, breathe. I need your help here, Virgil. John needs your help."

"What's wrong with Johnny?" Virgil whispered, his voice coming out as little more than a croak. Perching on the bed next to his middle son, Jeff sighed, rubbing his hand over his eyes wearily.

"I wish I knew, son. He hasn't been letting anyone in all afternoon, and then I finally get in and find him like this. Do you think you can help me get him downstairs?"

"I…I…I don't know, Dad." Virgil whispered. Looking at his son in alarm, Jeff shut his eyes to block out Virgil's tear filled ones. He had seen that look too many times over the last few hours.

"It's alright, Virgil, it's alright." Rubbing soothing circles on the artist's back, Jeff flicked a switch on his watch and signalled Brains. His eyes fixed on John's still form, Jeff continued trying to calm Virgil, feeling the odd tremor wrack his body from time to time as Virgil also watched his brother. Within seconds, Brains came running onto the scene, short of breath. He took one look at John and paused momentarily before half lifting the young man without a word. Smiling gratefully, albeit one that didn't met his eyes, Jeff hooked his arms under John's shoulders, and between the two of them, they somehow managed to get his unconscious form down the stairs and into the infirmary.

Leaving Jeff holding John, Brains quickly set about making up the third bed. His movements made Alan stir, and the younger blond let out a resonating gasp when he saw his older brother.

"John?"

"Shh," Jeff motioned quietly, his eyes fixed on Gordon. Nodding his understanding, Alan lowered his voice, knowing that it wouldn't take a lot to wake Gordon up again and that the red head would try and be involved, which would naturally mean he would be in the way.

"R…ready, Mr T...T...Tracy."

Nodding his understanding, Jeff struggled over, placing his son as gently as he could onto the bed. Brains immediately began checking John's vitals, muttering to himself the whole time and all but ignoring the man standing hesitantly at his elbow. As Alan struggled up from the floor, his eyes radiating concern, all hell broke lose.

Gordon let out a low moan of distress, the atmosphere in the infirmary filtering through to him even when he was asleep. The indications of an argument between him and Virgil earlier was all that was needed for Jeff to know that Gordon would flatly refuse to stay out of the way once he caught sight of John, and although he knew it was drastic, Jeff didn't need him in the way as well, he figured he would already have his work cut out for him with Alan and Virgil.

"Al? I don't want to do this, but-,"

Before he could finish his sentence, Alan nodded, reaching into a cupboard and pulling out a set of restraints. Gordon would most likely kill him for this later, but Alan couldn't honestly say that his brain was working properly. Snapping one around his brother's wrist and then onto the edge of the bed, the youngster sighed deeply. Gordon was not going to like this at all, his overwhelming desire to be close to any brother could be extreme. He had always had it, but it was after his accident that Gordon seemed to have developed the need to be right beside any of them when they were injured or ill. He claimed that it was because of the comfort it brought him during those painful months in hospital, but all the others knew was that it could be a nuisance.

Making to secure Gordon further, Alan paused mid-action as a slow moan sounded through the air. Glancing at his father, Alan saw Jeff glance in turn at John, before they both turned their attention to Scott. As with Gordon, the oldest seemed to have subconsciously realised that he was needed by his brothers, and so had decided to choose this moment to wake up.

"Great timing, Scotty-boy," Jeff muttered under his breath. He hovered uncertainly between the three beds, unsure of whose side he should be at the most. Before he had to make the decision, Alan sped across the room and snapped the other half of the restraint around Scott's good arm, leaving another brother with no way out of bed. As Jeff looked at him with eyebrows raised, Alan shrugged.

"How do you think he is going to react when the first thing he sees is John?" Nodding his understanding, Jeff crossed the room as Scott's eyes began to flicker. There was nothing he could do but keep out of the way until Brains had finished checking John, and the father couldn't help but feel that it was going to take all of his parenting skills to keep his boys under control in this one.

"Scotty? Baby? Open those eyes for me, son." As Scott blearily did as he was told, Jeff smiled in relief. He had known deep down that Scott was going to be alright, but it had taken until seeing his son awake for his heart to quite realise it as well. Considering what had happened the last time Scott had supposedly been awake, Jeff watched him cautiously, but his son showed no signs of his earlier confusion, nor any memory of what had happened.

"Dad?" Scott croaked weakly, trying to sit up. With a tight bandage and a low throb in one arm, Scott tried to use his other to push himself up, but frowned in disorientated confusion when he saw it was attached to the bed.

"Hey, Scott. Welcome back."

"What's going on? Why-," But just at that moment, Alan accidentally moved out of the way, giving Scott a clear eye line to his next youngest brother.

"JOHN! Johnny? What's wrong with John? JOHN!" Placing his hand firmly on Scott's good shoulder, Jeff forced his son back into a laying position, unable to believe how strong Scott could still be considering everything that had just happened to him.

"Scott! Listen to me, come on Scott, look at me. We're not sure at this moment what is wrong with John, but Brains is working on it. You need to relax, Scott, you're going to make yourself worse again."

"I don't care. John! Let me go, I have to get to my brother. Dad!"

"Scott Tracy, that is enough. You've only just woken up yourself, there is no way you are getting out of this bed. If you don't calm down immediately, I'll have Brains sedate you again." As Scott continued to fight against both his father and the restraints, Jeff sighed deeply, trying to keep his temper. "Damn it, Scott, I've almost lost you once today, don't do this!"

As the impact of his father's words washed over him, Scott stopped still, surprise echoed on his face.

"You've what?"

"Don't you remember what happened, Scott?" Alan asked gently, perching on the edge of his brother's bed now the risk of being kicked off had reduced. Confusion clouded Scott's eyes and Alan echoed his father's earlier actions and sighed deeply.

"The rescue?" Scott muttered, frowning as he tried to piece together what had happened. Everything was a confusing mass in his mind, but one look at his father's and youngest brother's faces were enough for him to realise that it had obviously been serious. Before either of them could continue, another voice joined in the conversation, albeit a furious one.

"John! What the hell-, damn it, Dad, let me go!"

"Looks like Gords is awake," Alan commented unnecessarily. As Scott glanced at him, Alan shrugged.

"You really think you're the only one we would have trouble keeping in bed?" And it was at that moment Scott realised precisely why only one of his wrists was restrained. It was nothing to do with his bad arm, more like a stubborn brother with a refusal to stay in bed.

"Gordon, son, calm down. Brains is helping John now, I need you to calm down."

"Calm down? My brother is lying there unconscious and you're telling me to calm down?"

"If it is any consolation, you're not the only one he has said that too," Scott called over. If his father's reaction was anything to go by, he had managed to give his brothers a few hours of hell, and he just hoped that him being awake would be enough to bring his red-headed brother under control for a while.

"Scott?" Gordon's voice suddenly dropped dramatically, and he twisted awkwardly in his bed. Realising what he was trying to do, Jeff moved out of the way, pulling Alan with him so that the two brothers could see each other quite clearly.

"Hey, Gords. How's the leg?"

"Scott?" Gordon repeated, sounding incredulous. He knew that Virgil had told him they had done it, that their biggest brother was going to be alright, but it was still different to hear Scott talking to him from across the room.

"Scott!" The last exclamation was a joyful one as Gordon made to spring out of bed (at least, the best he could manage considering his leg), but was pulled sharply back with a groan as the restraint tightened and kept the prankster firmly in his own bed.

"It sucks, doesn't it?" Scott asked conversationally, trying to gesture to his own restrained arm.

"You too, huh?"

"Yep. They don't seem to trust us."

"And for good reason," Jeff commented sternly, fixing both of them with the look they knew not to cross. "Your reactions were enough to warrant the restraints. It's not going to help John if you both end up worse because of a refusal to stay put."

"Dad-," Scott whined, trying to slip his arm out of the restraint. However, due to the fact he couldn't use his other arm at all, it was not an easy task.

"Don't you dare, Scott. And don't use that tone either, I'm not giving in. We didn't risk going up against the Hood to get the cure only for you to kill yourself through stubbornness."

"The Hood? Cure? Dad, what-?" Inwardly cursing himself for his words, Jeff crossed the room and perched on the edge of Scott's bed. The confusion was clear on Scott's face, and Jeff's words had done nothing to try and calm him down. Reaching out, Jeff fondly ruffled Scott's hair.

"It doesn't matter now. All that matters is that you're back."

"Is that why John is like this?" Scott whispered, the words catching in his throat.

"No, Scott," Jeff responded softly, knowing full well where his oldest was going with this train of thought. "John is like this because there are some people who want to destroy all that is good in the world, you and your brothers being some of the best."

At Jeff's words, Scott sank back into his pillows, trying to hide the tears in his eyes as he watched Brains working on John. Gordon had also fallen silently, making Alan feel brave enough to go and sit with him. It was an unwritten rule in the Tracy household; don't go near Gordon when he is in a temper. His hand resting lightly over Scott's, Jeff's eyes didn't leave Brains as he bustled around, muttering to himself and occasionally jotting things down on a clipboard. Suddenly, the genius frowned, checking a reading, before glancing at John in concern. Before Jeff could ask what could possibly happen next, two things happened simultaneously.

Virgil slipping silently through the doors as Brains let out a startled yell, his worry making him momentarily lose his stutter.

"He's convulsing!"

Jumping to his feet, Jeff was across the infirmary in a split second. Slipping another pillow under John's head, he stroked his son's cheek gently as John opened his eyes, his body shaking of its own accord. The pain and confusion were clear in John's eyes, and Jeff found himself hard pushed not to turn away from the sight.

"It's going to be alright, Johnny. I'm here, I've got you, baby." Glancing at Brains, Jeff received a nod for his efforts, a clear indication that he should continue.

"Even Scotty's awake now, John," he continued soothingly, not breaking John's heartbreaking gaze. "You're going to be fine, d'you hear me? Everything is all going to be fine. Just relax, John, don't fight it."

Watching Brains out of the corner of his eye, Jeff saw him draw out a measurement of what the patriarch knew to be Tegretol before advancing on the still shaking John. Before he could get any closer, however, another figure shot across the infirmary, snatching the syringe violently from Brains' hand and causing the family friend to stumble back a pace. Virgil didn't seem to notice however, continuing on his mad dash as he hastily administered the drug to his brother. Within a few moments, John had relaxed again, but the look in his eye remained. Whispering soothing nonsense to the frightened boy, Jeff perched on the edge of John's bed, painfully aware that this was the third different bed within a day he had sat on, each with a different son. Eventually, John began to properly relax, but as his hand sought out Jeff's, the grip was still tight.

"Don't ever shut me out of your room again, John Tracy." Jeff muttered softly, a gentle smile on his face to reassure his son.

"Sorry, Dad." John whispered, his eyes drifting shut again.

"Nah ah, Johnny. It's time to stay awake, your big brother wants to see you."

"Scott?"

"Stubborn as ever. Come on, Johnny, look at me. That's it, keep those eyes open. You have to stay awake." Watching carefully in case of another seizure, Jeff was more than relieved when a small amount of colour came back into John's cheeks. Before anything more could be said, however, a commotion drew Jeff's attention away from his son once more.

"Damn it, Virgil, that hurt!" Glancing up, Jeff took in the sight in exasperation. Alan had quite clearly been trying to hold his brother back, leaving Jeff to have time with John rather than being pushed out of the way by Virgil. His older brother, however, had not appreciated that in the slightest, the only thought being locked in his mind was to get to John. John was his pillar at the moment, it had been John to pick him up after Scott's attack, John who had held him close as he trembled. And now he wasn't being allowed near his brother, hence why Alan was hopping on one foot and looking murderous.

"Virgil?"

"Let. Me. Be. With. John."

"Virgil, snap out of it, this is helping anyone."

"I don't care," trying desperately to throw off Alan, Virgil made to move forward, but his littlest brother had a temper to match his own, if not outstrip it.

"Stop, Virgil. Please. Don't do this, I can't deal with another brother like this." Unusually, however, Virgil did not react in the way Alan intended. Normally it only took one word of distress from him and his brothers would jump off a cliff to make him feel better. Swallowing hard, Alan realised quite how worked up Virgil was as he continued to fight against his brother. Watching the commotion, Gordon had heard Alan's words and swore softly to himself. He was surprised the kid had held it together for this long, especially now three of his four older brothers were out of action. Biting his lip in worry, the red head decided to try and help.

"Virg? Bro? You wouldn't let me near Scott earlier, and I now know why. You were protecting me. Let Al help you, let us protect you."

As both Scott and Jeff glanced at Gordon in surprise at his choice of words and the revelation of what had happened earlier, Virgil managed to break free of Alan's grip and charged forward. Glancing quickly back down at John, Jeff caught one glimpse of the confusion, pain and fright over everything that had just happened, and caught his rushing son around the middle, dragging him away from the bed. Alan was right, this was certainly not helping John. Forcibly dragging Virgil away, Jeff grabbed hold of his belt with one hand, keeping a firm grip on the struggling youth, before releasing the arm around his middle. Placing it across Virgil's chest, he then crossed his arms, drawing Virgil into him and practically rendering him useless at fighting back.

"Alan, do you mind sitting with John?" Jeff asked quietly, a forced sense of calm in his voice. As Alan nodded, the worry etched deeply onto his normal carefree son's face, Jeff slowly walked backwards out of the infirmary, all but carrying Virgil with him, ignoring Virgil's attempts to free himself from the iron grip.

Backing into the wall, Jeff then slid the pair of them down it, keeping his son locked in the embrace. For a while, Virgil continued to try and get free, then quite suddenly, the furious attempts melted away as his shoulders started to shake, the sobs racking through him. Unlocking one of his arms, Jeff kept a good grip on his son with one hand, whilst using the other to tenderly stroke Virgil's hair, not saying anything as his boy vented out all of his emotions.

"I should have been with you," Virgil spluttered, unable to stop himself now the dam had broken. "I should have been there to help. I didn't know where they were, I thought they had left me as well."

"No one is going anywhere," Jeff soothed, knowing what had got Virgil so worked up. Not knowing where John and Alan had been, and then having them come back and for this to happen, had taken its toll on the young artist. He had already been forced to try and help pull one brother back from the brink of death whilst being accused of trying to break the family up, and then had been left on his own to deal with Gordon. Physically, Virgil may have been the safest of them in this, but emotionally, he had been through practically more than them all put together.

Even the reassurances didn't seem to be helping Virgil, but Jeff knew he merely had to let everything out. Virgil was almost as good as John when it came to hiding his emotions, especially when he was trying to look after the others, but there comes a time when even he couldn't take it any more. And with his normal source of comfort, aka Scott, being the main cause of the problem, it hadn't take a lot for him to crack. Even so, it was a good half an hour before the sobs slowly began to reside and for Virgil's breathing to once more even out. Feeling Virgil completely relax into him as his breathing fell into a steady rhythm, Jeff glanced at the ceiling to try and keep his own emotions under check. He hadn't seen Virgil this distraught since his mother's death, and even then, Jeff had been so wrapped up in his own grief that he probably had noticed as much as he should have. Hearing the infirmary door swish open, he looked up to see Alan's head poking out.

"Is he asleep?" Jeff mouthed to his son, having a strong suspicion that Virgil was, but wanting to properly check. Alan crouched down so that he was on level with his brother, before smiling softly and nodding. Gently slipping his arm under Virgil's legs, Jeff carefully stood up, his middle son asleep in his arms.

"I'll be back in a minute," he whispered to Alan, who smiled in response before disappearing back into the infirmary, no doubt to inform the others what was going on. Seeing Virgil like that and not being able to do anything would have sent Scott mad, no doubt Jeff had left Alan with a much bigger job than just soothing John. He would make it up to his youngest when all of this was over, he would make it up to them all.

Carrying Virgil into his room, Jeff then deposited his son on his bed. Slipping off his shoes and tucking the covers around him, the father paused as Virgil automatically snuggled into the warmth, not waking up. His hand resting lightly on Virgil's brow, Jeff sighed.

"Sleep well, son. You've earned it. I love you, Virg, don't ever forget that."

Walking quietly back into the infirmary, Jeff pulled up in surprise as Gordon let a low whistle slide through his teeth.

"Something you're not telling us, Dad?" Blinking at his son in confusion, Jeff missed the smirk on Alan's face.

"What do you mean, Gordon?"

"First John and now Virgil? We never realised you were so strong."

Smiling at Gordon's surprise, Jeff rolled his neck, wanting nothing more than a hot shower and some much needed sleep.

"It's called being a father, Gordo. It's amazing how much you can lift when you need too."

"Oi!" John commented lightly, causing Jeff's smile to widen as he caught sight of the older of his two blonds sitting up, looking distinctly better than the last time Jeff had seen him. Glancing over at Scott's bed, Jeff frowned when he saw that it was empty, yet the cuff was still attached to the side. Looking questioningly at Alan, Jeff didn't know whether to laugh or cry as Alan's smirk widened. Walking around the bed, Jeff blinked in surprise to see Scott sitting on the floor, one hand half suspended above him as the restraints did their job.

"Scott?"

"He wanted to get up," Alan commented, laughing outright at the look on his oldest brother's face. "So I let him. Shame he didn't get very far."

"Will you please now help me up?" Scott growled, forced politeness in his voice. Taking hold of his good upper arm, Jeff hauled him to his feet before immediately pushing him back down on the bed. With no hand free that he could put his weight on, Scott had found himself stuck on the floor until someone decided to help him. And considering Gordon was also attached to his bed and John was only half conscious, it had fallen to Alan, who naturally had been so annoyed at Scott's determination to go after Virgil that he felt no inclination whatsoever to help his brother up.

"What did I tell you about getting up, Scott Carpenter Tracy?"

"What did you honestly expect, Dad? How's Virg?" Immediately, the relaxed atmosphere of the room plummeted, the concern taking its place. Smiling around at his boys as they were all instantly back on full alert, Jeff sat down on the chair.

"I'm not going to lie to you boys, Virgil has been through a lot today. But give him time and space, and he will be fine. Of course, it _would _help if you all didn't decide to collapse on him." Eyes twinkling at the look of indignation that crossed Scott's and John's faces, Jeff smiled.

"How are you doing, Johnny-boy?"

"Ok, Dad. Brains said I'm going to be fine, that it was just a lasting effect from…from the incident. Something to do with a mixture of shock, emotions and the _thing._"

Nodding, Jeff caught Alan's eye, trying to tell him without words to follow his brother's example and not let the others – Scott especially – know precisely what happened.

"So there shouldn't be any more seizures?"

"I'm n…not c…certain, Mr T…T…Tracy," Brains butted in, coming back into Jeff's sight at the same time. "Lady P…Penelope reported n…nothing s..s…like this happened t…there. John may have b…been exposed for l…longer, but he should be f…fine."

"Looks like you're keeping us company tonight then, Johnny." Gordon called over cheerfully, making his older brothers share a look and groan. Making a mental note not to move Gordon's restraint until morning, Jeff turned his attention to his youngest son.

"And how are you, Alan?" Alan looked up from the end of Gordon's bed, meeting his father's eye.

"I'd be lying to say I was fine, but I will be." Nodding his understanding, Jeff decided it was about time they got some sleep. It had to be midnight at least, and whilst Gordon and Scott had spent much of the time asleep, a sedated sleep didn't provide the same rest as a natural one.

"Go get some sleep, Al. You look dead on your feet."

"Can't I stay…ok, ok, I'm going." Ruffling Alan's hair as he slouched past, Jeff caught sight of the smile on his son's face as his brothers all called after him, whether it was reassurances or merely wishing him good night, Jeff knew it did enough to help the youngest of them.

"That's goes for you as well, Dad." Gordon said quietly, watching his father closely. In fact, compared to Jeff, Alan looked great.

"I'm fine." Sharing smirks, the three remaining brothers glanced at each other before all fixing their father with a look that made him flinch.

"What?" He asked innocently, wondering if he had the strength to go up against all three of them. Admittedly none of them could physically force him out, John perhaps being the only exception, but the look on their faces was enough. Scott, for one, had had too much experience at getting someone into bed when they didn't want too, helping raise four younger brothers having allowed him to develop that particular talent.

"Dad. Bed." Scott stated, his tone making John and Gordon trade smirks. Neither he nor Jeff realised quite how similar they sounded when they used that tone.

"You can talk. I'm fine, Scotty. You boys should get some sleep."

"_Now_, Dad."

"Go on, Dad."

"We're fine, get some sleep."

Raising his hands in surrender, Jeff couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright, I'm going. Happy now? John, don't you dare get out of that bed."

And with that, Jeff walked out of the infirmary in much higher spirits. He had no intention of freeing either Scott or Gordon before the morning, Gordon's mischievous grin giving him cause for concern, only over shadowed by Scott's stubbornness. Given the chance, the infirmary would be empty in the morning. He only hoped that John would have the sense to stay put.

"Sooo…"Gordon began conversationally as the door swished shut behind his father.

"I'm going to sleep." John declared suddenly, rolling onto his side and pretending to shut his eyes, whilst keeping them open enough just enough to watch Gordon. The red head seemed to a bit put out, obviously having planned something great to will the hours away until morning.

"Me too." Scott stated, shifting to try and get comfortable. He couldn't lie on one side because of his arm, and with the other arm stuck at a slightly unusual position due to the restraint, he was left staring at the ceiling.

"Guys," Gordon whined, watching in dismay as they both shut their eyes. They were no fun. Sighing irritably as he stared at the ceiling, Gordon was not aware of how closely his older brothers were watching him as he yawned widely. Yawning again, Gordon cursed his brothers for not being more imaginative, not noticing that he was falling asleep. Thinking up ways to get them back, the prankster didn't quite realise how tired he still was, before quite suddenly falling asleep.

As Gordon's breathing evened out, John sat back up, catching Scott's eye and grinning. Scott also sat up, took one guilty look at the door before tugging on the restraint.

"Need a hand?" John asked quietly, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

**Wow, only one chapter to go after this one. Ooh, that is just spooky, the song that the lyrics are from in chapter 1 has just started playing, and i've got it on shuffle as well -spooky! :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Well, this is it folks, the last chapter to my first mutli-chapter thunderbirds fic. I hope you have enjoyed it and don't forget to let me know what you thought!**

Grinning as his brother swung himself out of bed, Scott momentarily frowned as John stumbled, but as the younger man crossed the infirmary, he couldn't help but be grateful as he reached him. Taking a moment to steady himself against the edge of Scott's bed as the room spun slightly, John took a deep breath to steady himself.

"You ok, Johnny?" Scott asked quietly, concern flickering in his eyes.

"About as good as you." John responded flatly, knowing Scott would never admit to being in pain and therefore covering his own back at the same time. Not missing the look his only older brother was giving him, John then set about freeing Scott's arm, knowing full well the infirmary was not the place he needed to be right now. Within a matter of seconds, he had pulled the restraint free, allowing Scott to swing his legs out of bed whilst his brother clutched onto it, supporting himself and breathing heavily.

"John?"

"I'm fine. Go before Gordon wakes up." Nodding his affirmation, Scott took a tentative step forward, his legs shaking as he did so. After two or three steps, he stopped. There was no way he was going to make it to Virgil's room like this.

"You ok, Scotty?" John asked softly, not realising he was repeating his brother. With a slight smile, Scott replied.

"About as good as you." Laughing softly at the realisation, John nodded before immediately regretting it. Nodding was an action that was going to be off the agenda for a while. Thinking hard, John smiled suddenly when the answer hit him. Crossing the infirmary as quickly as he dared, John tried to ignore the black spots littering his vision as he opened a cupboard. Pulling the hover chair out, John shot Scott a smirk before making his way back across the infirmary, much slower this time.

"John, honest, I'm-,"

"Fine? Fine my ass. Do you want to be with Virgil or not?" Grinning at his younger brother, Scott lowered himself into the chair. Leaning back with his eyes closed, Scott couldn't help smiling.

"You know me too well, o brother of mine."

Gently pushing the chair in front of him, John also smiled, but it was sad one. Thankful his brother couldn't see his face, John quickly regained control of his emotions. Yes, he did know Scott too well, which is why he knew precisely how much it would have torn the family apart to lose him. For someone that tried his utmost to keep his brothers happy, Scott didn't seem to have quite realised the extreme effect he had just had on the family by threatening to leave them. And knowing Scott, would not ever realise quite how important he was to them, for in his mind, one of his younger brothers always came first.

Silently opening Virgil's door, John carefully navigated the chair into the room, being mindful not to knock over one of the many easels littering the room. For someone who hated anything to be in the wrong place in either his 'bird or the infirmary, Virgil's room sure was a tip. Helping Scott out of the chair and into the one standing next to Virgil's bed, John smiled as Scott immediately brushed back Virgil's hair, his good hand resting lightly over Virgil's own. Heading out of the room, John paused when Scott softly called him back.

"Take the chair. They won't know I had help, that way."

"You sound like a fugitive," John smirked, but did as he was told anyway. As quietly as he could, the blond headed back to the infirmary, this time really intending to sleep. It wasn't so much he wanted to go back, more he knew he would never be able to make it to his own room without being caught. Slipping through the doors, he paused on the way back to his bed. Placing the chair back in the cupboard, John smiled fondly down at Gordon's sleeping form, smoothing out the covers around him. Even with a broken leg and one arm restrained, the red head was still a restless sleeper.

"Sleep well, kiddo." John whispered softly, slipping back into his own bed. Within a matter of seconds, the astronaut joined his brother in the land of dreams.

TBTBTBTBTBTB

Feeling the sun warm his face, John blearily opened his eyes, wanting nothing more than to snuggle back down and go back to sleep. Forcing himself to sit up, he glanced over at Gordon's bed to see his younger brother already awake, talking quietly with Alan, the empty breakfast tray balanced on the edge of the bed. Alan looked so much better than when John had last seen the kid, obviously having managed to get a few hours of decent sleep himself. Glancing over, Gordon smiled warmly when he saw his big brother sitting up.

"Mornin' sunshine." He called over cheerfully, causing Alan to also turn his head.

"Hey Johnny. How are you feeling?" Pausing for a moment, John thought about Alan's question. How _was _he feeling? Sure, his head was pounding, another reason why he wanted to get some more sleep, but other than that, he felt fine, his heart considerably lighter than it had been 24 hours ago. Before he could answer, however, his father strode in, also looking considerably more relaxed than before. On seeing that they were both awake, Jeff paused, his hands on his hips. Catching both of their eyes in turn, he tried not to smile.

"Which of you is responsible?"

"Come again?" Gordon asked, for once actually innocent in this. Trying not to give himself away, John attempted to mirror Gordon's confused expression, but he wasn't sure if he was quite managing to pull it off as his father's eyes lingered over him for a fraction of a second longer than they had Gordon.

"Scott." Jeff responded blankly, making Gordon glance over at the previously occupied bed. Laughing outright at the lack of older brother in it, Gordon couldn't stop himself.

"Where is he?"

"Virgil's room. They are both still asleep."

"Sweet. We have to get a picture of this." Making to hop down from the bed, Gordon fell back with a very colourful curse as the restraint still on his arm held him in place. Raising their eyebrows simultaneously, both Jeff and John looked towards Alan, who in turn shrugged.

"You said keep him company, nothing about letting him go."

"Thanks, Al, glad to know you have my back."

"As always, Gords, you know that."

"Well, that answers that then." At the puzzled looks his sons shot him, Jeff looked pointedly at his older blond.

"If Gordon is still restrained, there can only be one person who helped Scott. Don't you agree, John?"

"Nope. He could have done it himself. You know what Scott is like when it comes to one of us being in need of some attention from big brother." As Jeff momentarily paused whilst taking in John's words, he missed the wink John sent sending to Alan. Smirking, Alan decided to try and get his older brother of the hook.

"Yeah, Dad. Don't you remember when he overrode all of the codes of the entire villa, climbed out of a window and practically scaled the cliff in order to get into Gordon's room that one time?"

"I guess. But I also remember someone else climbing over the roof to do the same thing, so you can't completely blame this on your brother." As Alan flushed in embarrassment, Jeff decided to let it go. He knew full well it was John who had helped, the boys seemed to have forgotten about the security cameras, but had wanted to hear it from his son himself.

"Well, John, I came to tell you Brains says you're free to go. No 'birds for a while, I'm afraid, and he says to tell you that if you do so much as think about thinking, you'll be back in here before you can say genius. And I mean to reiterate that, Son, you need to take it easy. And as for you, Gordon, you can also go, but do I need to remind you that you also can't do anything?"

As Gordon pouted, John navigated his way off the bed, thankful to be allowed out. The infirmary has always given him the creeps, something that had intensified over the last day. He couldn't blame Scott for wanting out as soon as he possibly could. Supporting his older brother, Alan helped John out of the door and down towards the kitchen, Jeff right behind them.

"What about me?"

Smirking, Alan continued forward, leaving his father to go and free his brother. He had a feeling Gordon would make him pay for that, especially as it was clear Jeff had intended for Alan to let him go as soon as he had arrived in the infirmary, but the youngest couldn't help it, he needed something to cheer him up after the stress of the few days.

_TBTBTBTBTBTB_

A few hours later, and John was lying comfortably on one of the sun loungers, the sun playing across his hair and making it look even blonder than before. Scott was opposite him, having finally been "officially" found and extracted from his little brother's room, and was now also enjoying the sun, fast asleep. Gordon sat to one side, glowering at the pool. He was as close as physically possibly without any part of him getting wet, sulking. He was not happy that it was at least going to be six weeks until he was back in his beloved water, Virgil finally coming clean and saying that the break had been a bad one. The latter himself was no where to be seen, but John had last seen him disappear into his father's office and knew that Virgil had some apologising to do about the way he acted. Although John wouldn't be at all surprised if Jeff refused to listen to an apology, he knew he wouldn't have. His brother had been stressed and worried, he had nothing to apologise for. And Alan was…somewhere illusive, as per usual. The blond couldn't help but wonder whether his youngest brother was down at the beach, running. He was far too much like Scott, any sign of stress and the youngest Tracy threw himself into physical activities, the more strenuous, the better. And the last day had certainly been tough on him. Having been used to having a big brother constantly smother him, Alan had been forced instead to watch as one by one, they all succumbed to something, whether it be physical or mental. It wouldn't have surprised any of his brothers if the last few days would bring on another load of nightmares, Alan always seemed susceptible to venting out his concerns in sleep.

Stretching lazily, John winced as the sun caught him in the eye and made his head give an uncomfortable thump. He knew it would still be a couple of days before he was completely back to normal again, but for now, he was content just to watch his brothers. Smirking at Gordon's scowl, John then let his eyes rest on Scott's sleeping form, or what he could see of it past the blanket Jeff had summoned up from nowhere when he caught sight of his oldest boy fast asleep. As if knowing he was being thought about, Jeff himself appeared, arm slung casually around Virgil, who looked a lot more relaxed. Smiling at his brother, John was relieved when Virgil smiled back, coming over to sit on the edge of his lounger.

"Hey, John." He stated softly, causing his older brother to lean over and ruffle his hair fondly, pretending to ignore Virgil's attempts to duck his arm.

"Hey yourself, kiddo. How you doing?"

"I am NOT a kid." Virgil declared obstinately, glaring at his brother, looking and sounding exactly like one. Watching them with a fond smile, Jeff wandered over.

"Fancy admitting that you freed Scott yet, Johnny?"

"What makes you think it was me?" John asked innocently, his eyes twinkling.

"Maybe because neither you have changed a bit in the last ten years."

"How come, Dad?" Gordon softly called over, wanting to know the meaning behind his father's words. The red head was always after blackmail on his older brothers, it made roping them in to help him on a prank so much easier when he had something to go on.

"Scott's never liked being told where he can't go. There was this one time, I think Scott was about sixteen at the time." Groaning, John glanced away, embarrassed. He had forgotten all about _that _incident. Seeing John's reaction, Gordon's interest levels shot up, but he was not the only one, Virgil was also suddenly paying a lot more attention. Anything that can cause a visible reaction from John was worth knowing. Letting himself be lost in the past, Jeff could quite clearly remember the events from that day. It had seemed like such a big deal at the time, but now, looking back on it after coming so close to losing his precious boy, he knew it had been nothing.

"_You can't do this!" Throwing his father the dirtiest look he could manage, sixteen year old Scott Tracy ignored the heads poking out from the bedroom doors surrounding them at his angry voice._

_"I can and I will, Scott. You are too young to be going to that sort of thing. You are staying home."_

_"You can't stop me!"_

"_That's it. I've had it with your attitude, Scott. First you snap at Gordon, then you are rude to your mother, and now this!"_

"_Dad-,"_

_"You're grounded! Now, get to your room and don't let me see you for the rest of the evening."_

_"I hate you!"_

_Running a hand over his face in weariness, Jeff sighed deeply. Scott's early teenage years had been so smooth, but all of a sudden, the temper seemed to have flared into life in the stubborn youth. Glancing around him, Jeff could make out all four of his sons watching the commotion._

"_Gordon, Alan, shouldn't you both be in bed?" He asked, his voice taking on a much gentler tone as the two youngest jumped guilty at being caught out and scurried back to bed._

"_How are you feeling, Virgil?" Crossing the hallway, Jeff let his hand rest momentarily on Virgil's forehead, frowning when he still could feel the signs of his earlier fever. "Come on, Son, let's get you back to bed."_

_Half supporting and half carrying Virgil back to bed, Jeff perched on the edge of his bed as Virgil gazed up at him, looking like the spitting image of his wife._

_"Don't be mad at Scotty, Daddy," the ten year old whispered, his pleading voice capturing immediately at Jeff's heart. Sighing, he tucked the covers around his middle son some more._

"_He has to learn, Virgil. When your mother or I tell you boys not to do something, it's because we love you and don't want anything to happen to you. Scott has to understand that."_

_"Then tell him, Dad." Inwardly groaning at Virgil's annoyingly good logic considering his age and the fact he should have been ill, Jeff smile, albeit a tight one._

_"Get some sleep, Virg." Dropping a light kiss on his son's untidy mop, Jeff left the room, pausing just long enough to flick out the switch. Heading back down the stairs, Jeff missed John sitting in his doorway, a frown puckering unhappily on the twelve year olds' face. Hearing a creak, Jeff turned sharply to see Scott inching his door open again._

_"I just wanna see Virg," the youth protested, catching sight of his furious father._

_"Bed, Scott. Now." For a long second, the glared at each other before Scott backed up into his room, shutting his door with far more force than necessary. Wondering if he was overreacting, Jeff grabbed the small chair that stood in the corner of the landing and sat himself down, determined that Scott wouldn't be sneaking out tonight. _

_Watching his father and older brother in misery, John caught the meaning behind Scott's words that his father didn't. Scott didn't want to go anywhere now, he just wanted to check if his little brother was alright. And because of that, John was going to help. Slipping into his room, the youngster picked up one of his small balls before inching the door open, holding his breath as his father's eyes flickered over momentarily. As quickly as he could, John threw the ball towards the stairs, smirking in satisfaction as it bounced noisily down the steps, making Jeff jump in surprise. Standing up, the Tracy patriarch peered down the stairs, frowning when he couldn't see what was making the noise. Then, to John's delight, he set off down the stairs. The minute his back was turned, the small blond was out of his room, across the hallway and slipping into Scott's room quick as a flash._

_His older brother was lying on his stomach on his bed, glaring at the wall. Hearing his door open, Scott turned and frowned when he caught sight of John slipping through his door._

_"Are you mad? Dad'll kill you, go back to your room, John."_

"_You want to see Virgil, yes?" John stated, causing his only older brother to frown at him, before nodding._

_"So I'm going to help. When you hear my signal, run for it."_

_Without giving Scott a chance to respond, John was gone again, slipping back into his own room just as his father reappeared at the top of the stairs. Waiting for a few moments for his father to settle, John placed himself on the floor in what he hoped was a convincing position, before crying out._

_Instantly, Jeff was by his side, looking on in surprise as John started to cry._

_"Hurts, Daddy, it hurts." _

"_What hurts, buddy?"_

_"Leg." As Jeff ran his eyes over the limb, John buried his head in his hands, pretending to look as if he was in pain, but in reality hiding the lack of tears. Jeff scooped his son into his arms, marvelling at how heavy he was, and made to carry him down stairs. Backing out of his room, Jeff missed a figure darting across the hallway, but John caught Scott's eye and winked before letting out another cry. Carrying John down the stairs, it didn't take long for Jeff and Lucille to calm their son, before he decided it didn't hurt any more. Putting him to bed, Jeff decided to check once more on Virgil. Carefully inching his door open, the father didn't know how to react to find Scott fast asleep on the edge of Virgil's bed, his younger brother's hand clutched firmly in his own._

"Wow, didn't hear about that one, Johnny," Gordon remarked with a smirk, bringing Jeff back to the present to see John bright red.

"I remember that, sort of," Virgil murmured, his eyes gaining a far away look. "I don't remember the fight, but I remember waking up with Scott in my room with no idea how he got there."

"So whenever Scott is not where he is supposed to be, especially when a younger brother is hurt or ill, you can blame John."

"Hey," John cried, sounding indignant. "He escapes himself, not all of them are my fault. How can they be when I'm not even on the planet half the time!"

"I don't know, Johnny," Jeff mused, watching his son thoughtfully, "I wouldn't have said Scott knew how to override all of the access codes, and Five _does_ have that sort of technology."

Smiling as Gordon burst out laughing at the look on his brother's face, Jeff smiled fondly at his boys as Alan wandered onto the scene. Taking one look at his laughing brothers and the indignant expression on John's face, he frowned, although it lost its effect somewhat by the smile still on his face.

"What did I miss?"

"Me getting you back for ditching me and going with Dad." Virgil declared suddenly, springing forward and grabbing Alan around the waist. Ignoring his struggles, Virgil dragged his brother over to the edge of the pool before unceremoniously dumping him in, fully clothed, much to Gordon's delight. Hearing John laugh, Virgil turned towards his older brother.

"Don't know why you are laughing, Johnny-boy, you did it too."

"You're not moving me." John declared obstinately, clutching onto his sun lounger worriedly as a dripping wet Alan climbed out of the pool. Sharing a look with Alan, Virgil smirked.

"Aren't we?" And with that, the two brothers sprung forward and each seized a side of the lounger. Between the two of them, they somehow dragged it over to the edge of the pool and tipped it on its side, sending their brother into the water with a splash that woke Scott. Emerging spluttering, John caught one look at the look Scott was giving Gordon and smirked, before turning his attention back to Virgil and Alan. Heading back inside, Jeff couldn't help but laugh as Scott silently helped Gordon up and the two of them moved behind their unprepared brothers, a simple jab in the back being enough to send them flying forwards and into the water.

"Keep protecting them, Luce," He whispered to himself as a familiar scent washed over him, making him breathe in deeply and smile.

"_Don't I always?"_ No one but Jeff heard the answer; however, as he continued to watch his boys lark around.

_Ta da! The end!_

**And that's it, the end. A huge thank you to all of those of you who have reviewed throughout this, you have really kept me going.**

**_Whirlgirl: _Thank you SOOO much for all of your great reviews throughout this, i've felt really bad i haven't been able to respond to you personally, but your reviews really do brighten up my day, they are always so nice and supportive. Thank you so much, i truly appreciate them.**

_**Special thanks goes to PirateMoose by beta-ing this for me. Thank you, hun, what would i do without you? :)**_

**_SilverBee: Thank you so much for your constant support throughout this, your review make my day, they are always so awesome. So in continuation of our little system, i just wanted to say a great big thank you, you're the best! *hug*_**

**__****_Once. A. Queen. Of. Narnia: well,what do i even say? It's thanks to you that this story went the way it did, it would have been a lot shorter if it wasn't for our extremely random conversations, i owe you big time._**

******Well, that's me done! Until next time then, take care! :)**


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